by Linea Jantz
Golden Shovel after “Transfiguration” by Kate Baer
**Landscape orientation suggested for phone reading**
Before the sun rose, dishes clinked in a quiet house. I
loaded the dishwasher, the laundry machine, dreamt
of nestling in my cozy blanket on the couch by myself
instead poured coffee beans into
the grinder a
tired mother
but
in my mind whirls the list of who needs dropped off and picked up when
I
signed up to bring cookies for the bake sale, somehow I became
President of the PTO, Look at her
go! I
put away the scattered things we had
purchased for little joys, start the robot vacuum to
(inadvertently) bring terror to both dog and cat, dream
of a maid, unload the dishwasher
guide small hands tracing letters back
and forth over lined paper folded into
airplanes soaring the kitchen canyon, a
woman
slipping back
into
a
hug, a kiss, I love you, woman
my husband rumbles, rubbing my back
my hair styled, makeup tasteful, I smile into
his familiar eyes, he helps more than most– a
shouted, Get your shoes on! We need to go–
is this what society expects of a postpartum woman
ready to leave for work again?
Linea Jantz has worked in a wide range of roles over the years including waste management, medical records, paralegal, teacher, and most recently freelance writer and journalist. Her writing is featured or forthcoming in publications including The Dyrt Magazine, The Spokesman Review, Singletracks, Moss Puppy Magazine, Lines + Stars Journal, and NonBinary Review. Her poetry was featured in the ARS POETICA juried art exhibit at Blowing Rock Art History Museum and has received a nomination for Best of the Net. She is the Writing the Land Poet for the Columbia Plateau Sunnyside-Snake River Wildlife Area.
Linea’s short story “A Woman Named” was featured in Issue 05 Summer Solstice: Life Expectancy.