Poem Re-Post The First Time I Understood the Power of Zen

The First Time I Understood the Power of Zen or as Billy Jean King would say "staying in the Now"

I had always thoroughly detested doing the dishes.  I think it might be that I never got beyond the stage of doing them as a chore imposed by my mother. It is a little embarrassing to admit it but I am a lousy housekeeper and never quite realized that by postponing the various tasks which need to be done I was adding to my discomfort. Disorder can never quite be ignored and each item out of place nags at me and intrudes on my tranquility. The child in me used to just retreat even further into anything else but what was needed to resolve the problem. LOL  (That same character flaw makes me get out the vacuum if I need to study for an exam or do our taxes.)

Then one afternoon I experienced an incredible sensation.  The following poem relates what actually happened to me and I now have no problem at all doing the dishes.  I wish I could tell you that the rest of my housekeeping is now meticulous but that would be testing your credibility a little too much, I think.

The little doggerel verses just seemed to fall into place shortly after I understood that I had had a breakthrough (albeit, not an earth-shattering one LOL.) I polished it up as I basked in the self-congratulatory glow. I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it. 

The Long and Short of It –
or A Very Long Poem of How I made Short of an Onerous Task

I just ‘Zenned’ my dishes
And I feel so proud.
I needed to tell you
By crowing out loud.

I usually hate them
And let them just wait,
But it gets to the point
Where there’s not one clean plate.

Not a cup or a saucer
Or even a spoon
I ignored them this morning
And waited ‘til noon.

They’re inanimate objects –
I’m really not crazy
But they can reproach me
And make me feel lazy.

I suddenly thought
This can’t continue!
These grimy dishes
Are spoiling my view.

I’ll have to arrange
A new plan of attack
I’ll ‘zen’ through the dishes -
Get rid of each stack.

I’ll be in the moment
Like a zen master,
At one with my dishes
To make it go faster.

Open my senses -
Surrender my self
To the task of restoring
My plates to their shelf.

I ran the hot water
And added a squirt
Of green-apple scented
Soap for the dirt.

In front of my workplace
The sun’s shining through
On to some houseplants.
That’s pleasant too.

In went the glasses,
In which we’d had wine.
A swish with the dishcloth
Restored a nice shine.

Next all the bowls
With each sensuous form.
So easy to clean
When the water is warm.

I pondered the forks
As I cleaned out each tine.
And the intricate detail
Of the handle design.

The spoons and the knives,
I found, were quite easy
To do, as the water
Still wasn’t greasy.

When I got to the side plates
I started to smile.
All different patterns,
Each a new style.

I had broken too many
And was left in the lurch.
So I got those nice brown ones
From the sale at the church.

The black shiny octagon
Reflected my glance.
I got that with coupons
When we were in France.

That done I reached out
And picked up another.
The Chinoiserie one
Came from my grandmother.

Behind me my hubby
Occasionally quoted
Witty things from the paper
That he had noted.

Still feeling the joy
I rinsed out a flask,
Did the platters and pots
And continued my task

I emptied the water,
My hands were all wrinkled
But the counter was clear
So clean that it twinkled.

I wiped out the basin
And polished the sink.
Put cream on my hands
And started to think.

I‘ve decided that
Doing my dishes with Zen
Helps the whole process
So I’ll use it again.