Time Out

When I find myself unfit company for my fellow human beings, I am more content to work on order: weeding, pruning, even laundry.  There*s always laundry.  There*s also something about being able to produce something: a pile of weeds, for example, which begins to help bring things around.  Years ago now, going through the divorce from my son*s father, I made potholders on one of those metal looms.  Stacks and stacks of colorful potholders.  I found the loom in the closet this morning.  My husband knows the potholder story, and I think, is grateful that now I weed and prune and do laundry, instead of making potholders.  There*s symbolism in everything :) 

On the days I am not fit

For human company,

When I notice,

God willing I notice,

I give myself

A time out,

Strain to be pleasant until I can

Weed the yard.

Consider the laundry.

At least there may be something

Positive to show

When I*m done.

On the days I am not fit,

If I do not notice fast enough,

I hear raspberries,

Criticisms fast and furious,

Mine are the worst.

People tiptoe   tiptoe    tiptoe.

No placation

Is enough.

I sit in the middle of the lawn,

Weed the dandelions

Before they go to seed;

Prune the overgrown bushes;

Think about the sheets.

On the days I am not fit

I give myself

Time out

to breathe and weed and prune.

Time out

to wash the sheets.

Time out until I can find

The other side:

A heap of dandelions,

Branches tied in bunches,

Fresh clean sheets on the bed.