The old taps leaked;
the sprayer, too. All
ran beneath instead
of through.
How sad the sink;
how drab the rhyme.
I lacked the skill,
but had the time.
Out with the old,
stumped by the new,
my sink implored me,
halfway through:
Plumbed to drain
but not to fill,
how will I ever feel …
replenished?
She broke my heart,
broke my meter,
shamed my hands,
sent my feeter
back to Home Depot,
where in plumbing, Peter,
sold me parts that
might replete her.
It contorted my body,
flummoxed my brain,
but now she fills,
as well as drains.
My first and — you may reasonably hope — last home improvement poem. 🙂
Meditatio Ephemera 
cute poem. I had to replace mine last year.
LikeLike
What, and no poem resulted?! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Made me laugh! Nicely done! Light but also with a clear story from start to finish. Here’s to more home improvement poetry!
LikeLike
That would require more home improvement, which might kill me. 🙂 I’m glad, though, for the laugh this recap provides. Thanks, Rafiki.
LikeLike
Hahaha Brilliant, Cate!
LikeLike
Thanks, Leah! I have suffered for my art. 🙂
LikeLike
Hahaha. This cracked me up, Cate! And if it’s not leaking, congratulations!! -russ
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s not, Russ! Writing this made me laugh, too. It was a nice bonus to successfully completing the job — after the usual complications. Thanks for being amused with me.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yea for rhyme! I miss it.
I have a new dishwasher heating element asleep in a box at my feet. I’ve let him doze for days, dreading lowering my 74 yr old bones to the floor to install him. His metallic snores somehow are pleasing to my ears. Decisions decisions.
LikeLiked by 2 people
I can sure relate to that! My kitchen faucet had needed attention for a long while, but I gave myself a break during winter on the basis that cold was an additional insult to pretzling myself under the sink to disconnect that, and connect this, and repair what additionally goes wrong along the way.
Be kind to yourself, Leo — this kind of work is tough on older bodies. But you can do it — and maybe you’ll have a poem to share with us on the other side ….
LikeLike
Hats off to Cate for venting poetically! Not in a while, but in those 20 years of being solo I had several challenges that tested both my mental and physical stability! Once task completed, the satisfaction in having mastered the challenge far surpasses interim frustrations … but oh, in the moment of those frustrations: fury at complications that seem contrived to “put me in my place” and force me to call a “professional”! Bravo to you for not yielding! (Love that the sink is a she.)
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Jazz! I replaced both supply lines, because it was advised, and then of course one of the shut-off valves went south, so I was in for that, too, and my old home’s plumbing is not standard. But …. I prevailed!
You are right that the satisfaction of a job well done — or, at least, done — is considerable. But, the toll on our aging bodies! People think having a partner is valuable for emotional and physical intimacy, financial contributions, etc. Maybe. But it’s really about having someone around to help with chores and repairs. 🙂 Glad you’ve got that!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Plumbers come in handy, but there is a reward for doing it yourself. Plus, you work cheaper. Thank you for sharing this great poem. It brightened my morning.
LikeLiked by 1 person
You’re welcome; thanks for reading! At my age — 62, with a lot of physical labor behind me — I have to give careful consideration to what I do myself and what I hire done. You are right, though, about the satisfaction of muddling through to success on one’s own (sometimes dubious) merits!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Love this, Cate! And it reminded me that we need to do the same. But I think I’ll call a plumber. Ha!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Oh, you big baby! You’ll eventually emerge, damply, from beneath that cramped sink in an orientation that signals the need for physical therapy at a cost much higher than the plumber. But by god, you’ll feel triumphant! I know you can do it, Bob!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ha! I have experience with sinks and the subsequent physical therapy. Hence the plumber!
LikeLiked by 1 person
You are a wise man, Robert Okaji. 🙂 Our bodies are not quite as amenable to such projects as they once were. May your plumber be skilled, honest and affordable, my friend.
LikeLike