The Day's Chores: A List

by Patricia Hampl

The Day's Chores: A List


At a glance:

The Poem

“The Day’s Chores: A List” is in twelve numbered sections. In section 1 (one stanza of eight lines), the speaker sleepily encounters a cup of tea, noting the cup’s color and contemplating its ingredients. She opens one eye at a time, perhaps reluctant to come fully awake. Section 2 identifies the first actual chore and issues the first command: Water the plants. The plants are seen as a substitute for a pet; they will at least respond (“purr with pleasure”) to being tended. Section 3, the briefest section with only two lines, issues the second command:...

(The entire page is 1412 words.)

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