Welcome to Poetically Yours. Poetically Yours showcases poems by northern Illinois poets but sometimes we may highlight poets from other states. This week’s poet is Traci Neal from Columbia, South Carolina.
Neal is a poet and dynamic speaker. She said she likes to spread positivity wherever she can. She’s been featured in Spokane Public Radio's Poetry Moment. Her published works are in Elevation Review, DSTL Arts' Aurtistic Zine, Text Power Telling Magazine, and Wildfire Words - UK to name a few. Here’s her poem “Distinct Dishwasher.”
peanut butter skin/ hands handle dishes / distinct dishwasher/
scrub off scum/ grip grimy grit / grieve greasy utensils/
fingers consume/ leftover meals / funky fumes / food funds/
services to society/ servant’s life / spilled spots / picks unplanned/
written words/ sink into palms / plate of poetry / hospitable hands/
host/ customers coming / fast-food counters / cashier counts/
deposit slips/ dine-ins / deal deliveries / same sanitized / hands hold/
babies’ bottoms/ change dirty diapers / wash stinky smells/
with Febreze/ air freshener / fill rooms/ the brim / dishwasher duties/
clean and claw/ particular particles away / deep dark water/
drench stubborn stains/ robust remnants / from frivolous mouths/
forcing memories/ of toilet seats / beside my behind / bent back/
baring spray cans/ release bowl / blast reek / on noses / search hunt/
for hope/ find after flushes/ tears follow suctions / leaving leads/
to leaps/ upscale uplifts / distinct dishwasher / wash the weary/
place poetic words/ drain dead dirt / run water / time / waits/
motivation moves/ the machine / rinses wastes/ spins what spoils/
smiles from/ clean products / produce poetry / at its finest/
dishes drip/ words whistle / flow to freedom / doubt dries up/
when dishwashers/ do their job