Spiritual

It all counts as practice—

the way you stack clean dishes 

in the drainer so they won’t break, 

how you wipe down the counter 

and fold the towels. How you talk 

to a co-worker, or your husband 

after a hard day, saying to him: 

You can lay your head in my lap, then 

spending the rest of the evening

rubbing his temples to release

the pain locked inside. And isn’t this

as sacred an act as bowing to a statue 

of the Buddha, or standing in line 

for hours just to touch the worn 

bronze toe of St. Peter in Rome, 

believing that single gesture might

bless the rest of your life?

 

James Crews, ‘The Weekly Pause’ August 2, 2024