Celebrating International Women's Day - March 10, 2010
A WOMAN'S WORK
She stands above the iron
The smell of warm cotton rising
Mixed with starch and steam
Six yards of cloth stretch out beside her
Suspended along three kitchen chairs
The great length dissects the room
Corner to corner
Pressing one foot at a time
She folds them neatly to her side
Pace by pace
Drawing in the shrinking length,
Measure by measure
The bolt of fabric
Rendered to a crisp and sturdy stack
One square foot wide
She calls to her beloved
He charges up the stairs
This is their routine
He is a handsome man with flowing hair
Dark eyes smiling
She has loved him for eternity
From the far end of the room
They open wide the freshly minted cloth
Fold and fold until they meet
Then he kisses her,
She leaves and reappears
Her turban tied
Ever so precisely
Waiting,
While he irons his six yards of cotton