I am washing dishes
in an unfamiliar house
letting tap water shock my giving hands
as I scrub away impurities.
I am washing them until they sparkle
drying them with my apron
and putting them back in the cabinet.
They will come back to me dirtied
tomorrow
and tomorrow’s tomorrow
keeping me up into the late hours
with more grime for me to rinse away.
They will beg me to scrape them down
tomorrow
and tomorrow’s tomorrow
keeping my hands submerged in the sink
with the remnants of a habitual mess.
And still I wash
by hand
Hoping someday
If I scrub hard enough
If I clean good enough
If I wash well enough
The sink will be clear
So that I can rest.
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