Unconsciously, I think my husband knows its Ash Wednesday,
the beginning of Lent.
He is busy arranging things on the table top
and the smell of bleach cleaner is coming from the bathroom
where he has sprayed down the shower stall.
I need to dust, our prescribed arrangement of household chores,
he vacuums, I dust.
Dust to dust, ashes to ashes, I sing song to myself
as I look for the Murphy’s Oil Soap.
I tear an old towel into pieces-
Rend not your clothing, but your heart, the prophet tells us.
My heart has had enough rending, thank you very much, and
I think it is high time to darn the pieces together again.
So this is my Ash Wednesday prayer, this beginning of Lent,
that my heart be stitched back into place, that
its brokenness is plastered over and smoothed.
That the grief of the past long years be no longer bright flames
but ash and dust,
ashes to ashes,
dust to dust.
Joel 2:12-13 Ash Wednesday 2019
thecourseofourseasons 
Although a year ago, still as poignant as ever. Thank you! And I love the smell of Murphy’s Oil Soap as well as Pine Sol which is our housekeeper’s favorite. Has that smell of “clean” like fresh sheets and pillow cases that were hung outside to dry.
Thank you, Gary. I looked back at some of my Lenten writing and this still stands alone, I think. It is doubly hard to work myself into Lent this year. Still looking for a good devotional but may fall back to Henri Nouwen – cant go wrong there! Good Lent to you, my friend.
Ah … a brave poem and beautifully handled. Amen.
Yes, may your heart be soothed by every springtime blossom, as the cycle of renewal and rebirth leads us forward into another magical spring. Nice to read you, my friend.
this is so beautifully done, Kathleen ❤ ❤