Two in a row for We Write Poems: “I do my laundry when…” One fun, one serious.
These are also at Writer’s Island and Poets United. Peace, Amy
Laundry (haiku)
I do my laundry
when I damned well feel like it.
I am self-employed.
© 2010 Amy Barlow Liberatore/Sharp Little Pencil
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I Do
“I do.” My laundry: When he needs his lucky shirt
for Dart Night with the guys.
And despite my long hours at work,
I end up cooking every meal.
He reclines his spine on the sofa
without a “thank you” for the chips and dip and beers I
serve his buddies while they sit and swear at the ref’s bad calls
and don’t call it a day until after 10 p.m.
“I do” sealed my fate until the swearing
was no longer aimed at the refs, but at me and
the bowl of dip just missed my head
falling in clinks and plops to the just-mopped floor.
Darts no long reserved for the board:
He’d found a new target.
It wasn’t always like this. In our early days,
kisses and promises of blissful years ahead.
Words I believed until my lips met
with his fist; until sunglasses became basic makeup.
“I do” sounds lovely at the altar, but so hollow when
promises melt and mingle with the salt and blood at my feet
© 2010 Amy Barlow Liberatore/Sharp Little Pencil
Sharp Little Pencil 
booguloo
Love suffers long. Yep that’s all I got.. need to read the next installment befor I commit to more.. smiles..
vivinfrance
Your haiku: Three cheers for a free spirit, which if I’d read your I Do poem first would have been three cheers for emerging from that Hell with your free spirit intact. Truly a pair of yin and yang poems.
Sharp Little Pencil
I should have saved them for the Poetic Asides yes/no prompt the other day! Who knew? Thanks so much for your comment on my free spirit, Viv. Takes one to know one! Amy
Debbie
Oh Amy. These are both great. Do you submit your work anywhere? You should! Really. Thank you!
Sharp Little Pencil
Thanks, Debbie. I have to get myself together and submit. Haven’t done so in a while, and have had some success. But of course no money! (Because that would take the fun out of it, I think!) Amy
Irene
A bittersweet tale of marriage!
Mary
I love the first zippy laundry poem, Amy! I can almost hear your voice.
The second poem is so different. Very sad to think of so many women who live in that kind of situation!
Sherry Blue Sky
Oh Amy, you lived a harsh betrayal. So glad life is happy for you now. Must be night and day, after that experience. Great poem. Always wonderful to read a story of someone who not only survived but transcended abuse.
Sharp Little Pencil
Sherry, I am happy to report this was NOT autobiographical! But I do thank you for your support, which has been unwavering as I’ve woven poems out of scraps of manic depression, tangles of PTSD, and threaded them with everything from daffy memories to dark reflections about incest. It’s very easy to assume this is my own life, but physical abuse of the type described here, by a partner, never. Thanks to God for saving me that one, shared by so many of our sisters. Amy
Mr. Walker
I like both of these – for entirely different reasons. “I Do” is chilling – a scary portrait. I think you’ve taken on a persona here and captured it so well. The recurring imagery of darts, dip, and swearing work well. But it’s that idea of her cleaning up after him that is so effective, from the laundry, to the mopped floors, to the sunglasses. Amy, this is a great one.
Sharp Little Pencil
Richard, thank you so much for another thoughtful comment. Yes, the mopping up is physical, emotional – tangible and intangible. I hadn’t thought of that as an intentional contrast, and yet you pointed it out, so I thank you. Amy
beespoetry
Fun or serious, your poetry rocks.
Though I must say I’m with the narrator of the first one. I may not be self-employed, but if I want stuff done I do it when I want it done, not some arbitrary “laundry day” thing.
Sharp Little Pencil
Life is too short to schedule the stupid stuff, right? I’m with you! Peace, Amy
Tilly Bud
You made me laugh and you made me sad. Excellent writing.
Sharp Little Pencil
That was the intention, and I thank you, Linda. Love, Amy
Madeleine Begun Kane
Your light one was a delight and your serious one was very powerful.
Sharp Little Pencil
Kind of a twofer, and so glad you liked it, Madeleine! Amy
earlybird
Love the haiku.
Very strong use of ‘I do’ – right to the conclusion.
Sharp Little Pencil
Thanks so much for the compliment, your notice of how “I do” can mean different things at different times… I’ll stop by and take a peek at your blog now! Amy