Middle Ground
When I stumble
over five sets of sneakers,
navigate the closet
overflowing with framed
pictures, piles of towels, a bassoon;
when our bureau is cluttered with T-shirts,
your meds displayed
on the dining room table, the recliner arranged
to accomodate the cat, and leftovers
linger on the counter;
when our folded laundry waits
to be put away,
bills call from every surface,
and dust, surprise, stays under
the bed,
our daughter tells me to talk it out,
illustrates how she and her sweetheart
have discussed the disposition of the dishtowels
and found a middle ground
and have yet to start to look like each other.
5 thoughts on "Middle Ground"
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Wonderful poem! Lots of great lines and images. Loved it!
I love the last line!! And the stand-offs and unspoken irritations that certainly mark long-term relationships that you have just nailed in this poem! Great job!!
Excellent poem, Gaby! Love “the recliner arranged/to accomodate the cat” and the alliteration in “discussed the disposition of the dishtowels.” You have such a way of combining humor with the underlying serious message.
And I don’t know anyone in the Midwest who calls it a bureau! Seriously – a great thing to write about and excellent poem!
And I thought my house was the only one that looked like that, but you have an excuse–another person to share it with.
thank you for all the kind words this June, many times your encouragement kept me telling about the folks up on that mountain. Also, I have loved your work–always so clear so on the mark.