The Housemaid's Lament

The House Maid’s  Lament

My black hands are dry and split
From scrubbing these white floors.
Through it all these teeth I grit
Until I’m finished with these chores.

From scrubbing these white floors,
My black back aches along each bone.
Until I’m finished with these chores,
I’ll grit my teeth and stifle my moan.

My black back aches along each bone,
And each heavy breath rocks my breast.
But I grit my teeth and stifle each moan
Because it’s hours until I rest.

And as each heavy breath rocks my breast,
The coffee color drains from my face.
It’s so many hours before I rest,
But I’m able to carry on thanks to God’s grace.

This coffee color drains from my face.
My eyes are dry but my skin weeps.
I’m carrying on thanks to God’s grace.
But still these white floors I sweep.

My eyes are dry but my skin weeps
Enough to drench my collar.
And still these white floors I sweep.
For only a couple green dollars.

Enough to drench my collar
My woes are so many.
And so only a couple green dollars
Seems to this tired woman plenty.

My woes are so many
I almost rest and quit.
My breaths run fast. I’m panting.
My black hands are dry and split.

Author's Note

Supposed to be a pantoum poem,