Poetry Sunday: The Zen of Housework by Al Zolynas

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 Zolynas

I 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!

Comments

  1. David M. Gascoigne,October 19, 2025 at 4:12 AM

    It encapsulates my daily activity! I always wash the wine glasses first since they are most likely to get broken jostling with other dishes.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dorothy BordersOctober 19, 2025 at 10:06 AM

      I confess to having the modern convenience of a dishwasher which insures that nothing will "jostle," but I take your point.

      Delete
  2. jabblogOctober 19, 2025 at 6:19 AM

    '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?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dorothy BordersOctober 19, 2025 at 10:08 AM

      Indeed it is. In fact, I find that daydreaming makes any task infinitely more enjoyable.

      Delete
  3. Lark October 19, 2025 at 4:28 PM

    She's certainly more poetic about washing dishes than I ever feel washing them. ;D

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dorothy BordersOctober 19, 2025 at 5:38 PM

      I guess poets can make poetry out of anything - even washing dishes.

      Delete
  4. Deb Nance at ReaderbuzzOctober 21, 2025 at 6:19 AM

    Ah, 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.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dorothy BordersOctober 21, 2025 at 10:45 AM

      Wow, you were quite the poet! Do you still write poetry? I'd be interested to read more.

      Delete

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