Sludge

Pull the sheets tight
and tighter and tighter.
Smooth the comforter until
it’s straight as glass.
Clean your dishes til they 
squeak, 
scraping old pasta and
leftover cheese until
your hands melt.
Blow the dust off every
counter top,
desk, and lamp and 
book.
Vacuum the carpets until they
unravel, then
sew them up again more tightly.
Arrange jars in your 
refrigerator
by size then color
then weight then 
throw them all out.
Take the trash to the curb and
wait for the truck.
Make sure they dump it all in, 
scrape off the grime,
cause that’s one thing you can make
sparkle.