The Task

A poem and a prompt

Photo by Europeana on Unsplash

The Task

Across the valley at the peach house 
with the terracotta roof tiles, 
a woman stands on her balcony 
flapping a small, handwoven rug 
into the cold December morning. 
She picks up a second and strikes them together, 
one in each hand, releasing dust and crumbs
and mites into the pine trees below. 
She beats the rugs furiously against the railing, 
then slowly lifts them out to the side, 
glides them together again, and again, 
so that from here, she might be a large raptor, 
or an aproned angel about to take flight. 
She stops then and turns, as though someone 
has called her name, needs her. For just a moment, 
now that the task is done, she stands perfectly still, 
arms limp at her side, and lifts her face to the sun. 
I lift my own hands from the soapy dishwater 
and step outside to join her.

There is something both strange and comforting about witnessing another person in the act of performing a mundane task. I could see her from my window as I washed the dishes, two women doing what needed to be done. Only, I could see her, but she had no idea I was there inside my home, watching her dust her rag rugs, the rugs becoming extensions of her arms, like wings.

Whatever she heard that called her attention—I imagined a voice calling her name—broke the spell. That human-again gesture of turning her face to the warm sun for just a moment before returning inside, felt like an intimate summons, a moment to the self seized. I wanted to feel that near-solstice light on my face, too—a pause in my busy morning. So I stepped outside, found the sun, and turned my face to it. When I looked her way again, she was no longer there.

Write about something seemingly mundane or insignificant that you've witnessed recently. How did it impact you? What details stood out to you? How might you make a personal connection with what you witnessed? 

If you feel inspired, share your thoughts, comments, or writing in the comments.

Happy Winter Solstice, a time for reflection and stillness, of letting go of what no longer serves us, and expressing gratitude for all we have. 

Wishing your heart peace,