Eloise got a special deliver Friday! It was well-timed: she had a stomach bug. Let it suffice to say she had her hair washed three times in one day from diverse bodily fluids. On one of my (many, many, many) trips to the basement laundry facilities I noticed some of the items affected by last week’s plumbing issues were…growing. BLEACH. BLEACH TO ALL. While I scrubbed and washed and worked I was inspired. On this day of love, let us not overlook the practical vessels that stand by us when times get rough and stinky. Because this year… Bleach? Will you be my Valentine?
To Bleach, on Valentine’s Day
Oh bleach, sweet bleach, let me sing thy praise!
Banish mildew! Kill mold! Brighten our days!
Whether it’s fecal bacteria stewing anew,
Or vomit encrusted blankets (P.U.!),
Or even old allergy-inducing towels,
You combat each germ spewing out my kids’ bowels.
You disinfect bathrooms, you kill gunk in the sink–
If you’re a tall drink of water, then give me a drink!
Your cleansing aroma: the sweet smell of perfume!
This house reeks til your odor drifts through the room
With the calming awareness that all will be right:
The germs will die dead…plus our sheets will be white.
At the end of the tunnel I see the bleached light–
Happy Valentine’s Day, sodium hypochlorite!
Lost in Translation—North Africa
Jesus Body
I Hope You Don’t Know Him
Kids, King Cake, Chai