SHE

She dusted and wiped surfaces

Carefully placing things in place

Folding hers, his and the little ones clothes

Keeping them where they belonged

An order only she understood

The mess created over a period of a week?

Or a few minutes by her little girl?

Why does it take hours and hours to clean?

Let the role-play begin

She was the maid for the day

Sweat dripping down her spine

Her housecoat was wet, but her eyes.

They were determined to see this through

Saturday was the only day she got

Sunday…Aah…She’d doll up & be a diva

When it was all done

There was contentment on her face

She sat down to paint her nails

Red, she thought

Should be the color of the day

Rising early the next day

She oiled her hair, scrubbed her down

A bit of kajal, a dab of lipstick

Freshly pressed clothes

Feeling good about the way she turned out

For next Saturday, yet again

She’ll wake up being the maid

Dusting, wiping surfaces

Folding clothes in a manner

Only she could explain

• Bavani Srinu Panicker