Helpful Household Hints

Oh, for

that moment when you think

you’ve stolen time

to write,

but you end up cleaning

up an overflowed toilet instead.

Here’s a tip.

When you have a clog, plunge.

Don’t flush.

I guess the same could be said

about writing.

You want to suck the stuff out,

not flush it away, though

the temptation

to soften the edges with poison

is strong. Hold fast

to that edge and pull,

pull like necessity, get it all out.

True story. This is #13 of 30 Poems in November to benefit Center for New Americans.