"Things Shouldn't Be So Hard" by Kay Ryan:
A life should leave
deep tracks:
ruts where she
went out and back
to get the mail
or move the hose
around the yard;
where she used to
stand before the sink,
a worn out place;
beneath her hand,
the china knobs
rubbed down to
white pastilles;
the switch she
used to feel for
in the dark
almost erased.
Her things should
keep her marks.
You can read the full poem here.
(Photo of Norwich State Hospital by Matt Lambros)
The Dish 