Doing Hegel's Laundry

He said not to worry about separating
the darks from lights at the end of history
everything would be pink   But still

I worried about the ones that said hand wash only
And what about the delicates
lingerie that so heightened his imagination

he spent hours gazing into the lace
Did he really want me to throw it all together?
The end of history will come but not

the end of laundry Saturday morning
and the clouds fold above the snap
of one-two one-two

By afternoon the clothesline will be full
of flapping mouths   If I pin them correctly
I can contain their enthusiasm

Copyright © 2007 Melissa Tuckey All rights reserved
from Beloit Poetry Journal
Reprinted by Verse Daily® with permission