I used a blue toothbrush

I used a blue toothbrush

and a half-cup of dish soap,

scrubbing until my knuckles felt raw.

The white cotton is starting to pill,

turning into a fuzzy mess around the wrist.

But the wine is still there.

A pale, rusted pink from a party

where I laughed too hard and tripped

over a rug that wasn't even there.

The ring on the cuff is a jagged coast,

a map of a night I can’t quite wash away.

I’ll put it back in the dryer

and pretend I can’t see the island.