LAUNDRY

A tear threatened to escape my eyes as a droplet of water splashed against my cheeks, jolting me back to reality. It was about to rain. I cast a final glance at the scene before turning away. The mother now cradled her child in her arms. I smiled. It takes a lot to truly understand what love is.

That incident shaped my character in ways I can be proud of. Though I bore no fault, though it was unkindly unfair, believe me, that brutality contributed to the person I am today. I did, I do, and I always will (hopefully) approach life with careful consideration, mindful of the possible consequences. I say, "My life is the way it is because of the way it was."

August 2023

Authors Note: I wrote this piece during my Creative Writing class way back college, and I stand in awe as I search for that ‘learner writer’ in me. Reflecting upon the years that have unfolded, my journey has brought more good than bad, more generosity than indifference, and more work than play, just like my father. The question still lingers though: Do I also have my father’s anger? He does embody both the light and darkness and I embrace him for all of it. It is this aspiration that I holdtrue- a captivating blend of flaws and beauty.

by Karen O. Laking

Sorting

Piece by piece

Color by color

Shirts, pants, dresses, sweaters, jackets, socks, underwears they are your special friends on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays. They fill your minutes, and hours, say what? With them there are no dull moments. The washer goes round and round just like how the earth goes around the sun the spinner, it revolves while squeezing like how the brain works during the final exams. The driers functions just as well, like how the distance dries out the heart with love. Doing the laundry just like that, it turns and spins and twists and brings you relief, satisfaction, and pleasure looking at the empty bin.