Ode to Dirty Dishes

Ode to Dirty Dishes

We cannot avoid you

But damn do we try

And you remain all the same

It must take courage, to continue

Rejected after rejection,

Yet you are a beacon still

A guiding light made possible by the reflective

Surface of a carelessly

Rinsed dish.

Each of you occupies

Whatever crevice the sink’s gravity,

And our negligence,

Made you know

And in this way each of you play a part

In showing us

Nothing is infinite

Not even the tomb that dips below the countertops

Of our own apartment,

The one we receive our mail at:

The invoice for the utilities,

And the check from our parents

Of equal amount.

You do complain

Which is admirable as well

You know there is no reason you can’t be

Like our favorite wine glasses and coffee mugs,

Sat in the clear cabinet,

Never knowing a day-old substance.

We cannot do without you during a day,

And this you know, which is why

You call out to us, with that certain smell

That always seems to be rotten

Porridge, despite what each of us ate