What I Use It For Now

It came from the estate sale, flat

in a box of kitchen things. Blue stripe. That

was two years back. I've been using it —

drying glasses, folding it, the split

second between tasks. Today one corner

started fraying. I thought: donate. Shorter

list of things to keep. Put it back

in the drawer instead. Took it off the stack

again. Dried a glass. Dried it twice —

my mind had gone somewhere. The price

of not paying attention. The stripe

is hers. The wear. The type

of thing you use until you notice.

I folded it. Stood there. The slowest

decision. Back in the drawer.

The fraying corner. Two years more

of this, probably. Or not.

The glass is clean.

                          The drawer is shut.