Reflections on a Tidy -Up Prior to a
Wife’s Return from a Few Days Away

The Hoover leaves tram marks
Like a freshly mown lawn.
That nozzle attachment is really useful
On stair treads,
Grazing with the persistence
Of an elephant’s trunk.

Toilet bowls are surprisingly dirty
When you look close up,
Are there really that many different types of hair?

A grill that has caught fire
When cooking bacon is left unattended
Is astonishingly sooty
Stainless steel kitchen sinks aren’t
Worktops can change colour when wiped
But you just know that there is something you have missed.