one can never attain an empty hamper
unless one were to do the wash naked
which is not for me
so the dance goes on
in perpetuity
cold, cool, warm, hot
clean, rinse, drain, spin
detergent, dryer sheet,
a pillow of lint from the tray
iron, hang, fluff, fold
tuck sock into sock
for to live,
in any way,
is to sully
Mathieu Cailler is the author of seven books. His short stories, poems, and essays have appeared in numerous national and international publications, including The Saturday Evening Post and the Los Angeles Times. He is the recipient of a Shakespeare Award, a Short Story America Prize, a New England Book Festival Award, and a Best Microfiction Prize. Heaven and Other Zip Codes, his debut novel and most recently published book, was named the winner of the Los Angeles Book Festival Prize. For more information, please visit mathieucailler.com or find him on social media @writesfromla.
