The Lady Plumber’s Song

I, the plumber, self-employed,
With five children,
Proud as queen.
Flexible time enables me to
Care for sick child, even
Attend Paren’-Teacher conference.
On the way home,
I drop by the cemetery
At the edge of town,
To set the flower at his tombstone
Under the full moon.
“I fixed them all today!” I tell him.
“The clogged toilets at the Sam’s Club.”
So, I smell it.
I almost hear him saying
With mocking gesture.
Only then do I recall the stench that
I perceived as aroma of lilac,
My children in need of
My support. My children,
Yours and mine,
Force of my life.
I am a lady plumber,
Proud as queen.

(The stanzas and indentations of the original poem
are unable to show here due to the problem of WP editor.)

©Byung A. Fallgren

The Lady Plumber’s Song first appeared in
the Santa Clara Review, Volume 107, Issue 2, Spring 2020.
Santa Clara Review is the magazine Published by
Santa Clara University.  To subscribe the magazine, please
email santaclarareview@gmail.com.