The fragrance of freshly washed alone is enough
to the sway the senses,
it’s an edge between nothingness and
everything, as the sun
and the wind on the roof spread their limbs—
gather up the scattered pieces of me
and remind
there is always comfort, waiting, right after the chaos.
Soak your fears in detergent;
be gentle today, for the world requires that of us
at the moment,
it’s uncanny, the more I put on the clothes line
the lighter,
the more content I feel on the inside,
my soul sings along with the birds,
listens to the tiniest of sounds and takes note
to pour them
into poetry; I could really use it right now.
Barefoot, I follow the words that float about;
write of cobalt skies
and cherry tomato hope that beckons from afar,
compassion is something
I admire the most, apart from darker irises
that wake hungrier for dreams and other realities.
If only
I could read languid breath, arrange thoughts
and pull sensuality deep from the core;
he has the ability to catch feeling from corner of fuller lips
despite the silence,
despite the darkness fueled by recent events–
perhaps, ours will be the story passed down from generation
to generation,
for now, let us return and pick the dried clothes
from the line.
Photo credits: John Sloan, “Sun and wind on the roof,” Wikimedia Commons
Merril hosts at dVerse and invites us to come try our hand at Ekphrastic Poetry.
Come join us! 💝
Posted for Poetics: March Wind Ekphrastic @dVerse Poets Pub
I love the thought of clearing your mind… I know that one of the most relaxing things I can do is to iron my shirts…
Thank you so much, Bjorn 😀 so glad you liked it 💄❤️
an exquisite title Sanaa – love how you have used the act and metaphor of laundry to counter the inner turbulence of the woman – perhaps all women?!
“Soak your fears in detergent;”
Absolutely! Thank you so much, Laura 😀 so glad the poem resonated with you 💄❤️
This is one of your best, Sanaa, from the title on. And while laundry can be an burdensome chore, it and other chores allow us to decompress.
So many wonderful lines, but this stood out for me:
“gather up the scattered pieces of me
and remind
there is always comfort, waiting, right after the chaos.
Soak your fears in detergent;
be gentle today, for the world requires that of us
at the moment,”
Thank you so much, Merril 😀 so glad you enjoyed it 💄❤️
(and thank you for the glorious prompt) 🌹
There is a sense of comfort and calm after the wash and the chaos. I also love how the senses are evoked in these lines: fragrance of freshly washed &
my soul sings along with the birds.
Thank you so much, Grace 😀 so glad you liked it 💄❤️
The simple task of laundry you have made into a meditation to cast the fears of the sadness of present day war to quell the distraught that so many have to deal with
Nice one Sana
Much love…
Thank you so much, Gillena 😀 so glad the poem resonated with you 💄❤️
Thank you, Sanaa, for giving us this hopeful reminder to return to the simple pleasures that improve our mental health. You also invoke the creativity in which we must apply to make sense out of the senseless and gain the energy to bring beauty into the world – as you have done with your poem.
Thank you so much, Anna 😀 so glad you enjoyed it 💄❤️
A lot of us chose this painting, and yet the poetics differ from poet to poet. I read into it that your lover pulls you away from the chore, makes love to you, and then assists with laundry; quite the fellow. I liked “listened to the tiniest of sounds, and takes note to pore them into poetry.”
Thank you so much, Glenn 😀 so glad you liked it 💄❤️
You do pull sensuality from someplace deep …. always. Love this one.
Thank you so much, my dearest Helen 😀 so good to see you 💄❤️
This rings like church bells:
“Soak your fears in detergent;
be gentle today, for the world requires that of us
at the moment,”
Thank you so much, Lisa 😀 so glad the poem resonated with you 💄❤️
So wonderful Sanaa, captivating, and spiritually elevating.
Thank you so much, Rob 😀 so glad you enjoyed it 💄❤️
Everyday tasks can often keep us from dwelling too much in the darkness.
Thank you so much, Kerfe 😀 so glad the poem resonated with you 💄❤️
Your words are infused with so much — and the more I see in your poetry as reader, the lighter I too feel, beautiful lines, from hope, sensuality, to sorrow, from that secret yearning for freedom, wonderful verse Sanaa
Aww gosh! Thank you so much, Ain 😀 so glad you liked it 💄❤️
Absolutely gorgeous write, Sanaa!❤️ ❤️Chopping vegetables clears my mind. 😊
Thank you so much, Punam 😀 so glad you enjoyed it 💄❤️
Simple domestic gestures can be soothing, yes 🙂
Absolutely! Thank you so much, Jane 😀 so glad the poem resonated with you 💄❤️
Such peace intertwines with each line! Yes, freshly washed alone is enough to sway the senses. I am immersed in cleaning right now. Your words tell me why.
Thank you so much, Mary 😀 so glad you liked it 💄❤️
Sometimes the rhythm of the everyday is a great comfort. Beautiful imagery, Sanaa!
Thank you so much, Ingrid 😀 so glad you enjoyed it 💄❤️
I never thought of hanging laundry as therapeutic but I think you’re right, Sanaa! I love your “cherry tomato hope” 🙂
Thank you so much, Lynn 😀 so glad the poem resonated with you 💄❤️
Soak your fears in detergent! We need a lot of that these days.
This is so beautifully written Sanas! I love the therapy of washing clothes and hanging them on a line.
Thank you so much, Dwight 😀 so glad you liked it 💄❤️
This is so comforting, like a warm hug. Your writing is so good; it flows and draws me in.
Aww gosh! Thank you so much, Sascha 😀 so glad you enjoyed it 💄❤️