Laundry and Love

My wife gave me permission to use one of her poems, and I'm grateful. Not only am I running low on material and energy, but it gave me an excuse to reread some of her poetry. This is one that's pretty old, but it impressed me a lot ten years ago and still does now.

Sheer Love

Erin Quarterman

She's folding the pillowcase, 
the sheer material, the old yellow cloth 
that is more like a sieve than material. 
As thin as her patience, 
as thin as his love. 
What else would you expect 
from such bedding? 




It reminds me of Chinese poetry in a way, so spare and simple. It's pretty and sad, which seems to be a theme with her, since our band together basically has that as its motto. The double entendre of the title is amazing, too: love is sheer (as thin), but it could be sheer (as utter or unmixed).


I wish I could write short poems, too.