Laundry

the lace dangled from her fingers
taken back to the night
it lie on the floor until morning

folded and placed on the stack
she continued on with her pile
and though she despised it
laundry was the one thing
waiting for her every night

slowly through the years
the warmth of the clothes
fresh out of the dryer
replaced the heat of their bodies
together

she thought
maybe if it goes untouched
he will acknowledge me
even if it is just out of dissatisfaction
of the incompletion of my chores

so the hill grew taller
the hamper overflowing
but nothing caught his interest more
than the screen in the front room

detergent in hand
she found herself back in the space
where she was needed
promised attention

she wasn’t treated like a princess
but at least she had laundry
in common with cinderella