Wringer washer

I Over the click-clack, swish-wash of the wildly oscillating wringer Washer

the sisters would casually discuss Terrible acts of violence

Click-clack, swish- wash
Remember the day before mommy died, the old man was whiskey drunk and in a rage?

Yea, she was hiding from him, in between the houses and we had to call Timmy.

Click-clack, swish- wash
Remember that time when the old man pushed mommy's hand through the wringer of this very
washer, breaking all the bones in her hand?

Yea, she wore a cast for months.

Click-clack, swish- wash
Remember when we lived on Evans avenue and the old man tried to choke mommy by forcing His fist down her throat?

Yeah, And When the cops showed up they just sat him on the curb and said to him,

"cool down, buddy we know how women Are".

Click-clack, swish-wash

Violence is woven into a Complex family folklore and bleeds through the generations until no ones hands are clean.

Author's Note

Does this ending work?

Reviews

[Ern M. Yoshimoto]

i grew up in a family with domestic violence, and i could well imagine talking to my sister about all thoe memories (we never have thus far). the casualness of the dialogue reveals how 'normal' these things were for the personae, which truthfully reflects experience of many people who lived through traumatic life events.

i feel like the final line is better suited as an analysis, and it doesn't meld naturally to the rhythm of the rest of the poem. it is a very thought-provoking line, however, the strength of this poem is: show don't tell. so i feel it doesn't need to be included as part of the poem itself.