A Taciturn Daughter-In-Law Replies

A Taciturn Daughter-In-Law Replies

The washing machine was mine.
He left it turned on.

Sparks flew when I scissored
the connecting rubber tubes,

attached like his tie to the placental cord.
I worried if the water in the laundry

would kill my mother-in-law.
I half hoped it would

shock her into some human form
that didn't need to rely on domestic chores.

When he left the backdoor open
he must have known

I'd cut any electrical appliance
reminding me of a waste

they misunderstood
as defiance.