Tweetspeak Poetry

  • Home
  • FREE prompts
  • Earth Song
  • Every Day Poems—Subscribe! ✨
  • Teaching Tools
  • Books, Etc.
  • Patron Love

Your Laundry Poems and Scratch Magazine Winner

By Will Willingham 5 Comments

Last week, we invited you to fold our laundry. I mean, to fold your own laundry. Okay. We invited you to write poems about laundry. We had no idea we’d touch such a poetic nerve. You wrote loads, baskets, hampers full of laundry poems. You can check them all out in the comments from last week’s post. We’re happy to feature a few here that we especially enjoyed.

Thanks to all for your hands (and poems) that made light work of the week’s laundry. Oh, and we spun all your names in the dryer and drew out the winner of the Scratch Magazine giveaway: Laurie Flanigan. Congratulations, Laurie.

Laundral Impasse

Only walls know how I
laundered by hand and—
by back, arms, by this body—

how little I’ve laundered in compare
to the matròn bunched, swayed
over Riviere Cotes de Fer—

only my one day paused enough
to wonder why I’d relegate
this tactile communion
to a mechanical cube three
times my size when I am muscle,
I am water, I admit dirt hunkers
against the fibers—scrubbing,
wringing—

I have had enough! I sever
myself from the wash of women’s
fortitude that binds us all in

unity. I can take the grace—oh!
and couldn’t I have more?—

my Western wringing has left me
hanging for a generous Wind—

lay me limply, let me fold. I can
claim the four-four measures,
of garments in quadrants if only

to be clothed again. It is a small
preparation I can handle, this dress
over my head—

—C. L. Beyer

worn out

twice

(the one that

bares

her knees)

dances on

morning’s

breeze

—Darlene

Dragon

slumber dragon shedding her
calloused scaly skincoat
the days toil worries
wondering writhing
scratching twisting flipping
breaking free
arising at dawn no
memory of the struggle
only a damp tangle of
bedding cast aside to
launder

—Michelle Ortega

Want to write poems in a supportive community that is committed to helping you grow and become who you really are? Join our weekly poetry prompts. This month’s theme is Gone Fishing.

Photo by Paul Shen, Creative Commons license via Flickr.

_______________________

Every Day Poems Driftwood

 

The most beautiful and convenient way to read a poem a day

Buy a year of Every Day Poems, just $5.99

  • Author
  • Recent Posts
Will Willingham
Follow Will
Will Willingham
Director of Many Things; Senior Editor, Designer and Illustrator at Tweetspeak Poetry
I used to be a claims adjuster, helping people and insurance companies make sense of loss. Now, I train other folks with ladders and tape measures to go and do likewise. Sometimes, when I’m not scaling small buildings or crunching numbers with my bare hands, I read Keats upside down. My first novel is Adjustments.
Will Willingham
Follow Will
Latest posts by Will Willingham (see all)
  • Earth Song Poem Featured on The Slowdown!—Birds in Home Depot - February 7, 2023
  • The Rapping in the Attic—Happy Holidays Fun Video! - December 21, 2022
  • Video: Earth Song: A Nature Poems Experience—Enchanting! - December 6, 2022

Filed Under: Blog, Laundry Poems, poetry, poetry prompt

Get Every Day Poems...

About Will Willingham

I used to be a claims adjuster, helping people and insurance companies make sense of loss. Now, I train other folks with ladders and tape measures to go and do likewise. Sometimes, when I’m not scaling small buildings or crunching numbers with my bare hands, I read Keats upside down. My first novel is Adjustments.

Comments

  1. SimplyDarlene says

    August 6, 2014 at 10:08 am

    Such fun!

    Thanks for including a Darlene ditty here. 🙂

    Reply
  2. michelle ortega says

    August 6, 2014 at 1:15 pm

    Thanks for the inclusion! It’s awesome to be in such great company 😉

    Reply
  3. Laurie Flanigan says

    August 9, 2014 at 10:51 am

    Thank you for the magazine and the prolific prompt. These poems are wonderful! 🙂

    Reply
  4. Marcy says

    August 9, 2014 at 1:15 pm

    I’m so happy for all the winners.

    Reply
  5. Christine Guzman says

    April 10, 2016 at 2:53 pm

    One more laundry poem – inspired by my son’s overloading the dryer – and the resulting sounds and moves:

    The Dryer’s Complaint

    The dryer went rickety-tick, rickety-tack,
    you can’t treat me like that!
    You’ve overloaded me,
    stuffed me to capacity
    it’s too much laundry
    for a dryer to spin and dry,
    rickety-tick, rickety-tack
    you are overloading me
    you can’t treat me like that!

    It started to refuse: no more socks and shoes,
    pants, shirts and sweaters, underwear too.
    It needed to escape from its place on the floor,
    then losing its balance, it spun out of control.
    The dryer starting doing somersaults,
    back-flips, upside down handstands too
    it was moving so much
    it went down the hall, then out the door
    out on the street,
    then just like the balls
    that never know when to stop,
    it kept rolling in somersaults
    down the hill
    until it hit a bump
    and came to a full stop.
    The door opened wide
    the clothing were now free
    to wander in the world
    to be where they wanted to be.

    The song of the dryer stayed in their memory:
    Rickety-tick, Rickety-tack, you can’t treat me like that!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

For the Writer in You

Take How to Read a Poem

Get the Introduction, the Billy Collins poem, and Chapter 1

get the sample now

Welcome to Tweetspeak

New to Tweetspeak Poetry? Start here, in The Mischief Café. You're a regular? Check out our September Menu.

Patron Love

❤️

Welcome a little patron love, when you help keep the world poetic.

Your Comments

  • Megan Willome on By Heart: ‘Motherload’ + Li-Young Lee Challenge
  • Nichoel Saltekoff on By Heart: ‘Motherload’ + Li-Young Lee Challenge
  • Sandra Heska King on Do You Remember the First Poetry Book You Bought?
  • L.L. Barkat on The Honey Field—19: Corrie is Gone, Your Master is Gone

Join the Year of the Monarch

How to Write Poetry

Featured In

We're happy to have been featured in...

The Huffington Post

The Paris Review

The New York Observer

Tumblr Book News

Stay in Touch With Us

Categories

Learn to Write Form Poems

How to Write an Acrostic

How to Write a Ballad

How to Write a Catalog Poem

How to Write a Ghazal

How to Write a Haiku

How to Write an Ode

How to Write a Pantoum

How to Write a Rondeau

How to Write a Sestina

How to Write a Sonnet

How to Write a Villanelle

5 FREE POETRY PROMPTS

Get 5 FREE inbox poetry prompts from the popular book How to Write a Poem

Shakespeare Resources

Poetry Classroom: Sonnet 18

Common Core Picture Poems: Sonnet 73

Sonnet 104 Annotated

Sonnet 116 Annotated

Character Analysis: Romeo and Juliet

Character Analysis: Was Hamlet Sane or Insane?

Why Does Hamlet Wait to Kill the King?

10 Fun Shakespeare Resources

About Shakespeare: Poet and Playwright

Top 10 Shakespeare Sonnets

See all 154 Shakespeare sonnets in our Shakespeare Library!

Explore Work From Black Poets

About Us

  • • A Blessing for Writers
  • • Annual Theme 2022: Perspective
  • • Annual Theme 2021: Generous
  • • Our Story
  • • Meet Our Team
  • • Literary Citizenship
  • • Poet Laura
  • • Poetry for Life: The 5 Vital Approaches
  • • T. S. Poetry Press – All Books
  • • Contact Us

Write With Us

  • • 5 FREE Poetry Prompts-Inbox Delivery
  • • 30 Days to Richer Writing Workshop
  • • Poetry Prompts
  • • Submissions
  • • The Write to Poetry

Read With Us

  • • All Our Books
  • • Book Club
  • • Every Day Poems—Subscribe! ✨
  • • Literacy Extras
  • • Poems to Listen By: Audio Series
  • • Poet-a-Day
  • • Poets and Poems
  • • 50 States Projects
  • • Charlotte Perkins Gilman Poems Library
  • • Edgar Allan Poe Poems Arts & Experience Library
  • • William Blake Poems Arts & Experience Library
  • • William Shakespeare Sonnet Library

Celebrate With Us

  • • Poem on Your Pillow Day
  • • Poetic Earth Month
  • • Poet in a Cupcake Day
  • • Poetry at Work Day
  • • Random Acts of Poetry Day
  • • Take Your Poet to School Week
  • • Take Your Poet to Work Day

Gift Ideas

  • • Every Day Poems
  • • Our Shop
  • • Everybody Loves a Book!

Connect

  • • Donate
  • • Blog Buttons
  • • By Heart
  • • Shop for Tweetspeak Fun Stuff

Copyright © 2023 Tweetspeak Poetry · FAQ, Disclosure & Privacy Policy

We serve poetry with our cookies. Because that's the way it should be.
We serve poetry with your cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you... accept the cookies with a smile.
Do not sell my personal information.
Cookie SettingsAccept
update cookie prefs

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT