cleaning while watching the news, 8/21/17
Be aware:
my sponge is
floating in filth
a bloated carcass
drowning in salt.
Fine. Squeeze it out.
Soak it in vinegar,
hold it up on a stick
towards the sun.
Scrape it on plaster,
Scrub it against
the flaking walls.
This stain is too deep–
Carve it out.
The crumbles are sharp.
Do not paint over it
again. And again.
(I am afraid of mildew
when things
sit still,
Next comes
dry achy fingers
creeping through cracks
towards the innards.
Careful, it gets brittle.)
Watch it break when you push,
Shattering its dry bones,
Sweep away the pieces.
Do not hide!
Do not even look.
You can get a new one.
Just first, clean
under your feet.