It has never been unpleasant to me,
Washing dishes after dinner,
Hot soapy water in the sink,
My Fiesta Ware rinsed and stacked
On the counter to my left,
ready to be washed,
leftovers put away
in little plastic containers
and the table cleared.
There was an orderliness about it all,
The final ritual of the evening meal.
In Arleta, the kitchen sink
Was in a corner overlooking
the back yard where I could see
the bird feeder and the many
feathered friends that visited us each day.
There was a triangular ledge above the sink,
where my blue glass was on display,
It was a time for contemplation
and deep thoughts,
While I washed and rinsed the dishes
and put them on a rack to air-dry.
I still have the Fiesta Ware dishes
and the blue glass is above the sink
But there isn’t a window looking out
into the yard anymore.
I do miss that.
Sandra Lee Smith,
first written July 22, 2009/updated June 23, 2018
