The Paddock Review

Clothesline

 

In the backyard are rusted silver poles,

…..plastic cords sagging between, 

remnants of her laundry ritual.

…..Homemade basket holding

mountains of clothes,

…..faithful patience as she waited  

for bright blue skies to welcome the task.

…..Steady repetition of her hands reaching down,

pegging each item in a tidy row,

…..shirts and sheets dancing in a hopeful breeze,

readying themselves for her return.

…..

This poem is from the chapbook Phantom Joy (Finishing Line Press), and can be found at https://www.finishinglinepress.com/product/phantom-joy-by-cindy-m-appleby/

Phantom Joy is a poignant and luminous collection that explores the tapestry of life, love, and loss. It takes us on a journey reflecting on what it means to create a life built on imperfect moments and the preciousness of devotion. Phantom Joy navigates the intricacies of our human existence with grace and sensitivity and invites us to contemplate how grief can serve as a vehicle for learning what it is to live a life grounded in enough and our enduring search for joy.

Cindy Appleby is a writer, life coach and teacher living in Asheville, North Carolina. She started her poetry explorations during the pandemic, originally as a way to process grief, but now a mechanism for being present and moving forward. This is her first publication. You can find her at www.soul-geography.com.

Cindy Mitchell Appleby