Wrinkle Free

As I stood ironing
to a song’s slow rhythm,
I felt my wrinkled soul
would never be made smooth,

its high mountains laid low,
its valleys raised or paths
uncurved into straightened
and surprising perfection.

When I finished the sleeve
and looked at it, I for a moment
believed even I could become
lovely and beautiful.

And the refrain returned —
“The difficult I’ll do
right now. The impossible
will take a little while.”

By Patrick Harkins

(Patrick Harkins is a member of St. Joseph University Parish in Terre Haute.) †

The Criterion