Chores on a Friday Morning

I. "Chores"

Watering houseplants with fertilizer,
inside the house and on the porch for the summer.
Putting dishes away from the dishwasher
and adding dirty dishes to the dishwasher.
Washing a large load of dish towels
that are now ready to go in the drier.
Some chores are so routine,
so much a part of your daily life
you almost do them on automatic
and often forget you even did them.
There have been times though
when chores are memorable,
as significant in my past as any
trip to Spain or San Francisco.
They mark a special time in our lives,

II. "Dishwashing"

The first time I washed dishes by myself.
I was five, standing on a stool
in the small kitchen in New Orleans.
I'm grown up I thought as I looked out the window.
Washing dishes by hand is something
many will rarely experience because of dishwashers,
but at our house, it was usually my job.
I'd learned in 7th grade home economics
there was a routine for successful dishwashing.
Glasses first, silverware, dishes, serving dishes
pots and pans--and always rinse in hot water.
I made my 1st tea towel in 7th grade,
huck toweling they called it
and quite pretty with all the needlework.
I later embroidered one for my Hope Chest.
I used them for years,
but now I have lots of tea towels
as I still call them, from everywhere
as well as the big flour sacks bought by the dozen.
I always washed the dishes on the farm,
and my granddaddy dried them.
He was a man of few words, but he listened well.
I know I must have told him so many secrets
during our clean up time at the kitchen sink
in the old farm house.

III.

1st draft unfinished.