This one caught my eye with its title. I'd never thought much of housework as being a "Zen" activity. My interest was piqued and so I read. The line about the glass being full of the "grey wine of domesticity" made me smile. And so I decided to share it with you. Let me know what you think.
The Zen of Housework
by Al ZolynasI look over my own shoulder
down my arms
to where they disappear under water
into hands inside pink rubber gloves
moiling among dinner dishes.
My hands lift a wine glass,
holding it by the stem and under the bowl.
It breaks the surface
like a chalice
rising from a medieval lake.
Full of the grey wine
of domesticity, the glass floats
to the level of my eyes.
Behind it, through the window
above the sink, the sun, among
a ceremony of sparrows and bare branches,
is setting in Western America.
I can see thousands of droplets
of steam—each a tiny spectrum—rising
from my goblet of grey wine.
They sway, changing directions
constantly—like a school of playful fish,
or like the sheer curtain
on the window to another world.
Ah, grey sacrament of the mundane!
It encapsulates my daily activity! I always wash the wine glasses first since they are most likely to get broken jostling with other dishes.
ReplyDeleteI confess to having the modern convenience of a dishwasher which insures that nothing will "jostle," but I take your point.
Delete'Ah, grey sacrament of the mundane!' Isn't that just a wonderful line? And isn't it easy to get caught up in a simple task and daydream through it?
ReplyDeleteIndeed it is. In fact, I find that daydreaming makes any task infinitely more enjoyable.
DeleteShe's certainly more poetic about washing dishes than I ever feel washing them. ;D
ReplyDeleteI guess poets can make poetry out of anything - even washing dishes.
DeleteAh, this poem reminds me of Housework, a poem I wrote when I was a young mother and housewife. Here the link, if you'd like to read it: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1DQYZY3AwlflsEG7PFGkfbVsazdlyanqTcPO_mpwWYlU/edit?usp=sharing.
ReplyDeleteWow, you were quite the poet! Do you still write poetry? I'd be interested to read more.
DeleteI hand wash dishes but rarely drink wine. I loved the descriptions in this poem.
ReplyDeleteOh, yes! The descriptions are what drew me to this poem.
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