MOTHER OF LABORED LOVE

Yellow, lukewarm afternoon sun
beams its penetrating rays
day after day
week after week
on gray ashen window paines.

Creating galaxies of sunspots
for eyes to peek through,
to view a world distorted
a perspective quite anew.

White linen like casein milk
clothes colored navy and blue
afloat and hang freely,
from clothespins on a tight, taunt line
bobbin in a summer’s dance of clean.

Prior to this dance of clean
purposeful hands
plunge
into a warmish basin
of soapy bubbles
and suds,
knuckles red,
and bleed from duty.

She,
clannish old hag,
mother of labored love
now mean,
curt and hateful
carries the basket
of laundry
and toil.

She,
Just a woman,
peeks through the sunspot paines
and dreams of a different day,
when she was young
and possibilities
lied behind the garden gate.

She,
A great Duchess,
A Baroness,
A Queen,
denounces her insignificant role,
mother of labored love.


Words Used: Yellow lukewarm ashen
Sunspots distorted casein afloat bobbin
Purposeful warmish basin duty clannish
Hag curt hateful clothes gate duchess
Baroness denounces