grace notes of domestic love

her sleep is fitful owing some to a creaky knee

her man rises and exits the bedroom without sound

and then in the kitchen adds the gentle noises

of the early-morning chores of kitchen-bag disposal

(crinkly pulling up of bag

unlocking and opening back door

quite faint sound of deposit in big lidded bin outside

closing/locking door then swish out of new bag

closing little lidded bin with authoritative whmph)

and coffee-making

(lid-lifting/reservoir-filling/filter-snugging

store-brand coffeebag-opening/spoon-dipping

lid-shutting/pressing I/O switch

with a startyourengines click

and then the burble of the coffee brewing

and dish-doing

with the mild clatter of the roasting pan

and the rainfall-effervescence of a sink filling

with soapy water with the faucet nozzle

set on Sprinkle/Highpressure

and the clink and scrubsqueak of ceramic bowls

washed and rinsed and set in the dish drainer

..

the man is hopeful that the sounds

of little tasks being taken care of

will ease his sweetheart’s sleep

and she does look peaceful

as she opens her eyes and smiles and they kiss

..

“want some coffee?”