step one. survey the sink
sample out dishes. scrutinize their sizes. run your hands through the soapy excess.
here is your mountain
there is your goal
here is your horizon
the heady aroma of dinner circulating amidst dying conversation
there are not many things as tactile as the dishes
these are not many problems as easily solved with soap and water
solvent solving everything
if water could cure poverty
vanquish depression
end war
step two. get acquainted with the dishwasher you will be filling
know its contours like you know the rims of your hallways
walk blindly in the dark
and know that the small dishes fit here
forks fit best off to the right
do not be afraid to experiment
you are newton with an apple
galileo with a telescope
reinvent, reshape, rethink
where does that go
where does fit best
and is that always the goal?
is efficiency the perverse incentive of mankind?
tuck these questions into the soap
loose them on the ridges of the machinery
step 3. start with the big plates
some will advise you to start small
send that email
feed the cat
tie your shoes
but i want you to start with the big plates
those hefty devices
lofting chicken, and rice, and salad
scrub off what they carry
and what do they look like under there
do not be afraid you use your nails
scrub
scrape
purvey their essence
these are your backbone
you will be surprised
when these are all freshly scrubbed
laid out neatly in the northwest corner of the bottom rack
how much room they took up
how much emptier and manageable your sink has become
ah
now you can breath
it’s all about renaissance
perspective
pulled back finely
sternly
to a single point
but the sink is more baroque, manneristic
forks folded atop spoons
step 4. line up your bowls
bowls should fit neatly against one another
curves complementing curves
strengths complementing strengths
good bowls
good friends
but remember to leave space for breath
for water
for rinse and recharge
reenact shakespeare strutting his players across the stage
creeps in this petty pace
from dish to dish
placing bowl after bowl
and if by chance, they don’t all fit perfectly
as they often quite perfectly do not
do not despair
see different bowls with different functions fit different
and while it may seem exile to the far corner of the cafeteria
this bowl will still be cleaned
still emerge
fresh, glazed and whole
solitude has no marker on cleanliness, no marker on godliness
appreciate its intentional loneliness
step 5. order the cutlery
see among the cutlery, there is hierarchy
feudal europe laid out between napkin and glass
big fork fold into small fork
big spoon slipping into small spoon
knifes like cavalry in long rows
this is for you now
but also you later
see order is an investment
in a couple of hours, this process will be behind you
lost to the foam of the sea, and the dryness of your hands
but when you go back, as all lovers do
you’ll be able to pick up all the spoons
in one pluck
in one fell swoop
see
there is hierarchy in the cutlery
mind you their sharp points
step 6. downturn the glasses
it may seem backwards to you at first
why?
glasses belong right side up
cupped to the heavens
primed for a tear
a downpour
an exhale
but tilt them,
twist them
so they become a stool
for the kind of fairies that frequent dishwashers
and other fine establishments
tilt them till they become clinking mountains
just wait, soon there will be waterfalls
fit for arcs of Yosemite
there is a step 7. a step 8, 9, and 10 too.
but i cannot tell you what they entail
per say
the dishes are never the same each time
they never end exactly the same way
similar to how tetris blocks pile up
or how twins, once nestled in the womb, lead disparate lives
the end is up to you
see, there are not steps for most parts of life
most things cannot be sorted and ordered
as easily as the dishes.
if there were
i would wish to list them for you
but dishwashing is good practice
and thus I leave the end up to you
disregard my steps
make up your own steps
but do not forget to step
forward, backward, upward, downward
step
and repeat.