The Twin Tub
This one is inspired by one of my abiding memories that I have of my mum from my childhood. She was obsessed by cleanliness - very often to the detriment of time with her daughters - and my memories, as a result, revolve around her doing housework. Maybe that's why I try to play with my kids before I do housework and probably why I don't have the cleanest house on the block...ahem. Time with them is precious and fleeting and because my mum died in her 50th year, time with me and my sister was even more so.
I've used the rhyming couplets to try and emulate a sing song rhythm. Tell me what you think...
DJ in the house
She stands in the kitchen facing the door,
a great hulk of twin tub, cuboid on the floor.
The chequerboard lino, gleaming, pristine -
And me in my pink socks, a disco dancing dream.
She spins out on her decks, the rhythmic chug, chug, chug,
laundry in and sudded, rinsed, water down the plug.
Arthritic fingers feeding the gaping, churning hole
with snowwashed jeans and legwarmers - next the spinning bowl.
With precision and satisfaction, she watches til it's dry
spun out, hung out and happy - clean washing on the line.
I feel like I am back in your old kitchen - seeing you as a little girl that I have seen in photos, picturing your mum.
ReplyDeleteI actually do remember your Mum from when we were in primary school! we came to a party at your house once I think :) I do remember that your Mum was always smiling.
ReplyDeleteWonderful Poem kate xxx
~*~ Lisa Hudson ~*~