Ablution
A pantoum inspired by the history of sinks
History may be rinsed,
The water stays sacred.
An offering is peeled and minced,
Cleansing needs a thread.
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The water stays sacred,
From medieval wood to Butler’s plumbing.
Cleansing needs a thread,
Feelings, dirt, droplets drumming.
From medieval wood to Butler’s plumbing,
Stuffing material in the flow.
Feelings, dirt, droplets drumming,
We wish we didn’t know.
Stuffing material in the flow,
An offering is peeled and minced.
We wish we didn’t know,
History may be rinsed.
As I was thinking about history and threads, I’ve repeated the first and second lines in the final stanza as well. Here’s a short explanation of pantoums and their structure if you’d like to know more.
