CAREGIVING

It’s not easy
to wash someone’s body
without marring site of the wound

Baby shampoo 
on a wet washcloth
Circles of warm white foam

Secure footing
Safety bars on a tile wall
Friction mat on the floor of a tub

Mary Ellen Talley’s poems have appeared in many journals including Louisville Review, Deep Wild, and Trampoline as well as in multiple anthologies. Her chapbooks are: Postcards from the Lilac City from Finishing Line Press, Taking Leave from Kelsay Books, and Infusion online at Red Wolf Journal. She resides in Seattle, WA and worked for many years as a school-based speech/language pathologist (SLP.) Her website is www.maryellentalley.com.