The Sink at Night
Confront the sink at night.
The mess will be easier to deconstruct.
While you wet the plates
and pots, you can look out at the dark yard.
Every place outside
the bright box of your kitchen is wilderness.
Connect with it. Task
your hands. The soap knows what to do,
let it. If you press past
the window, the parked cars and garages,
what rises up in you?
You scrub from the dishes what is inside
of your belly. Erasing
consequences is hypnotic. Tomorrow, when
you wake up, your kitchen
will show little evidence of how you have
put it right. You will be
startled by the pallor and emptiness of the sink.
I enjoyed this a lot, Hannah. Anyone with a kitchen that has a window over the sink can identify with your poem. That last line is thought-provoking.
ReplyDeleteClear sink...cleaer mind. Waking to a messy sink is abad way to start the day. Love-love-love this line " Erasing
ReplyDeleteconsequences is hypnotic." Actually, I love the entire poem.
Ha! I so relate to this poem. We cook a lot so this sink confrontation is a daily ritual.
ReplyDeletefollowed you here from nic's blog. wanted to say how much i liked your comment about "sketchbook" when considering blogs.
ReplyDeletereally liked this: "task your hands" for both its wisdom and the simple way it fit inside the poem.
Love the image, love the poem, "press past" was my favorite word combination, as well as, "You will be
ReplyDeletestartled by the pallor and emptiness of the sink."
My habit is to leave my kitchen sink clean and empty each night, but sometimes, the emptiness feels so...empty.
Very nice poem, reminds me of Mark Strand - crisp, elegant & powerful. Inspires me to get back to the pen & page!
ReplyDelete