Poems from the 12-Hour Sonnet Contest: Revenge of the Washing Machine, Felicity Teague

 Felicity Teague is the author of the poetry collection From Pittville to Paradise. She lives near Cheltenham, England.


Revenge of the washing machine

 Whoa there! Don’t wrench me open so darned wide –

truth is, I’m breaking, warped with all the use.

You overload. Last time, I almost died!

Well, this is just the usual abuse.

 

You can’t stop spilling, can you? Trousers, shirts

and, worst of all, unlucky underwear.

Dude, I could catalogue a hundred hurts

you’ve made me suffer through your lax self-care.

 

You know, one day I might just shout, “ENOUGH!”,

give you my sternest treatment, roar on roar

till nothing’s left but tiny bits of fluff…

and then I’ll stomp across the kitchen floor!

 

You’ll fall, in awe. And I’ll begin my reign

as Queen Machine. Now kiss my filter drain!


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