Today’s prompt asks me to describe loss or grief, as best as I can through poetry.
The Laundry
I give five pieces of clothing,
Reflective of my wardrobe, it’s an eclectic bunch,
That things are about to go wrong,
I have absolutely no hunch.
I’ve heard the horror stories,
The loss of recently purchased clothes,
I’m dismissive, and condescending,
This will never happen to my laundry, I suppose.
Except one week later, when I come back,
There’s five pieces of clothing, but
Two, I don’t recognize, I feel attacked.
There’s a blue one missing,
And a pink one too,
I question the launderer,
He doesn’t have a clue.
There’s no way for him to make good the loss,
Even if he compensates me,
There’s no way to measure the actual cost,
The cost of heartbreak,
And faded memories,
Never again to be worn,
More crucially,
Never to smell like my own cologne.
Tejas Rao 