The Cycle of Chores

The load went through
a needed relief
given the intricacies
of the washing machine
and its peculiar hiccups

Bet you thought
I was heading elsewhere
with that first line
and you would be right
to expect that I thought
of doing such a thing

I have been domesticated for some time
shackled to the mundane responsibilities
that such a prestigious title brings

A quick towel dry
before slotting the dishes
where they should go
held in place
until being used again
and sullied by the juices
of meat and rich sauces
vigorous scrubs necessary
to get them clean again

These cycles repeat
and refine
through the repetition

Pushing forward
pulling back
on knees
getting to the neglected corners
the buzz of the vacuum
across the carpeted stretch

I can understand
the rise of Harlequin Romance
and the endless escapades
of the distant past

Brief diversions savoured
to combat the culminating mess
created in constant movement

But without the required attention
to the growing shambles
it could overtake us
and those sneak peeks
into a shadowed world
wouldn't be as delicious.