Sheila Charles LOST AND FOUND
Today, it happened again.
I should be used to it by now.
I’d put all my clean washing away,
Nearly all of it anyhow.
Because I was ONE SOCK short.
Now my wash house is downstairs
So, down I went to the basement.
(You could be thinking, ‘Who cares.’
But I have a special sock drawer
And they lie next to each other – in pairs.
I do not have a separate space
Where I can keep any spares!)
I checked the drier, as you do.
No, nothing in there.
Checked inside the washing machine.
I was beginning to despair.
I then inspected ALL the clean clothes.
But the missing sock wasn’t anywhere.
I started seriously wondering
Was I going raving mad?
Then I practically searched the whole house.
I knew it HAD to be somewhere egad.
NO. So, I folded the bag I carried
My washing in-down and back up.
Something made me look inside it AGAIN,
In case there had been a hiccup.
There was that damn sock, nesting.
Was this some kind of set-up?
Did that sock, all along,
Hatch a clever plan, to hide?
I could swear it LAUGHED WHEN I FOUND IT
Tucked right inside the inside.
FURTHERMORE IT HAD NEVER BEEN OUT OF THE BAG
SO IT WASN’T EVEN WASHED AND DRIED!
illustration by ume-nori
