Cleaning up

A place for everything and everything in its place. She dusted and cleaned. Brushed and mopped. Washed and folded. Removed the cobwebs. Then with a large broom swept all the trash away. Scrubbed and polished some. Then picked up all the fallen clothes. Arranged closets and bathrooms. Bedrooms and the living space. 

They trooped in the evening. To sounds of “The same food again” “I had a hard day” and a phone call “No dinner for me, I have an office party”. And went to bed, tired, to repeat the chore off and on. Quietly. Waiting for someone to notice. 

Her daughter lolls about in her jammies on holidays. Eats pizza out of the carton and has coffee cups with various stages of penicillin growing in them. Does her laundry when she can remember it, but usually buys a new wardrobe. To relieve stress she only de-clutters her thoughts.