EPIC Poem: The Laundromat, by Jana Tvorogova

In a laundromat
socks were spinning
and pounding, and pounding
and the washing machine’s door trembled
because the socks were angry

The socks weren’t really spinning
they were thrashing

And among them, a glove had gotten lost
and cried for help
and choked
and the socks were crashing it

None of them wanted to be there
and they all screamed
The socks screamed in rage
and the glove screamed for help

Outside the washing machine, no one cried for help
The other machines were empty
and it was already too late
to call for help
because he was already dead
and lay sprawled on the floor of the laundromat

It was dimly lit
and there was a disproportionate buzzing from the lamps
which clearly weren’t doing their best

But he lay there, gone from life
and didn’t scream for help
and his death hadn’t yet spread far

And already the glove screamed for help again
and also screamed in fear
and the socks screamed in rage
and beat each other

And he lay stretched out and twisted
on the dirty floor
on his side
and the glove screamed for help

The trembling of the washing machine drowned out everyone
But the socks grew so furious
that the machine couldn’t bear them
and the door burst open

And the socks slid gently with the water
and his rigid body was covered by them
while the glove remained stuck
inside the washing machine