POMprompt #22

White

During blackouts, I see the whiteout

Photo by Fabian Mardi on Unsplash

I stand at the kitchen sink
waiting
while
water boils on the stove.

I stare at the window
gazing
while
frost slowly clears.

I pour the boiling water
flinching
when
heat sears my skin.

The pane has cleared.
I look up and out on a vast expanse of white
so bright I cannot see
the snow stretching out in front of me.

And I wash the dirty dishes
rinsing
while
frigid water soothes.

We were very fortunate. I live in the Texas Panhandle and we never lost electricity. Our hot water pipe did freeze under the kitchen sink. I had to boil water to wash the dishes and rinse in really cold water. The wind chill made it feel like -35F. And it was windy. There was a layer of thick frost on the inside of our kitchen windows.

This poem was a POMprompt.