Doing Laundry

We pick, pair and 
wear our shiny 
crisp, neat outfits
strutting around
our sortedness
and then at the 
end of the day
return with them 
soiled by the 
storms of the world
and our own 
careless spills
and toss them
in a hamper 
in its dark corner
hidden from sight
and smell.

But then comes
the day we run 
out of clean masks 
and must muster 
the courage and
desire to step
into darkness and 
open that heavy hamper
and painfully sort 
all our clothes by 
the colors of our
wounds while
sniffing all 
the set stains.

We must then immerse 
them in the water 
of understanding
with a spoonful of 
discomfort as 
cleaning agent 
and add heaps of 
self- love for softening
and then with 
patience and the heat
of wisdom dry our 
now cleaner masks 
readying them
proudly for wearing.

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Thumbnail Photo by Jason Briscoe on Unsplash