Slice of Life Story -Delight in Doing the Dishes

As writers, we need to celebrate those small seemingly mundane tasks in our daily lives. We need to embrace the wonder of ‘now’ and not allow it to become a casualty of the pace of our lives; swept aside in the rush towards the next item on a crowded agenda. There is beauty in small moments, even something viewed as a chore,  -doing the dishes.

Just because I meander, don’t assume I’m lost…

Dishes

We share the kitchen

Washing the dishes

There are too few to fret over

When its tea for two

We work instinctively

Easily

Back and forth

At our respective tasks

Washing, wiping

Putting away

Never colliding

Never bumping

No clash or clamour

We glide

Through our detergent driven manoeuvres

Partners in a waltz around the kitchen sink

Pots and pans return to assigned places

And the dishwasher feeds on the leftovers

Our conversation floats easily

Background music drifting through

A moment

A memory

As we measure the day



The chore dissolves in a word sea

We complete the task

Rinse and wring

Wipe and fold

Unconsciously

The dishes are done

No Problem

Comments

  1. Tam25 January 2012 at 05:44

    What a lovely moment/dance in every day time.

    ReplyDelete
  2. JenniferM25 January 2012 at 09:15

    Such a beautiful description of such a mundane moment! Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Linda B25 January 2012 at 09:20

    I love that glide through the manoeuvers/partners in a waltz and 'the chore dissolves in a word sea'. Great verbs, yet a settled poem of this partnering. Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Katie25 January 2012 at 11:26

    I love how you make a task that I detest sound like something smooth, easy, and enjoyable. The dance metaphor was perfect.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Katherine Sokolowski25 January 2012 at 12:36

    I love how your poem becomes a dance. Beautiful.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous25 January 2012 at 13:17

    This poem reminds me of one by Wendell Berry - something about the comfortable nature of couples who are in tune with each other.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Michelle25 January 2012 at 13:49

    What a wondrous description of an every day chore. You danced it beautifully with you words.

    ReplyDelete
  8. LibraryDragon/Storykeeper26 January 2012 at 00:56

    I feel like an eavesdropper as I read your descriptive poem. I could visualize you and your wife working and talking. It also says lots about the connections you share as a couple.

    I am amazed at how much writers tell about themselves and their life when they write.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Kristi Lonheim27 January 2012 at 03:01

    There is something cathartic about doing the dishes, but turning it into a dance is beautiful. Thank you for the magically mundane moment.

    ReplyDelete

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