mother leaving for prayer meeting

this is where           the dish towels go

on the left            under the washclothes

fold them so            leave that one out

to dry                 on the hook

the dishes                    can dry themselves

make sure              the cutting board leans

against the coffee pot              fold the rag

over the sink                         and turn all the spoons down

so the water doesn’t                stain

this is how            to make the coffee two

or three spoonfuls                of the grounds

one tablespoon            of cinnamon

or hazlenut           the filters

are in the pantry          draw the water

and measure it            in the cups one

spoonful for each        cup make sure

the pot is firmly              under the spout

this is what            the lord says

honor your mother         and father

keep the sabbath         don’t lie

or think badly            of others

have faith            and he will keep you

i’ve left             some cookies for your lunch

in the tupperware        on the microwave

don’t take        too many—I counted them