Clean
Poetic expectations and disappointments while cleaning the bathtub
Today I tried to clean the tub No dancing bubbles came out
With mustaches and smiles I didn’t feel like singing
No little birds or dwarfs stopped by to help Just me, a useless brush, some spray
That says it is organic and better for the environment My arms tired, my eyes bored
How do people do this How does my mother do this
Clean for a living Clean for low pay
How did commercials ever Simply ever get away
With presenting household chores As some sort of
Joy station Some sort of wifely celebration
And how, please tell me How does something we use to clean ourselves
To bathe in, to shower, to wash Get so dirty in the first place
Jenny Justice is a mom, Sociology instructor, and writer. You can follow her on Medium and at Jenny Justice, Writer. She has been recognized as a Top Writer on Medium in Poetry, Parenting, Reading, Education, Books, Racism, and Climate Change, so far.