This companion piece to her earlier-published poem, “Shepherd,” finds Heid E. Erdrich again using the lyric to explore–and question–marital devotion.
—
Laundress
Given over to love,
she un-balls the socks,
lets fall debris of days,
leaf litter, sand grain,
slub of some sticky substance,
picks it all for the sake
of the stainless tub
of the gleaming new front loader.
Given over to love long ago, when her own
exasperated moan bounced off
the quaint speckled enamel
of the old top loader
vowing: she’d do this always and well.
She fell in love then, she fell in line—
in a march of millions, you pair them,
two by two, you marry the socks.
***
Read Heid’s poem “Shepherd,” here.
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Photo of Renoir painting by CarlosR38/Flickr
These two poems are thrilling in their depth and simplicity. If we’re both lucky and good, the domestic equipment will change–but the partner stays the same. All those socks, all those dishes, and still more tomorrow, what a blessing.