Comments on: Antidote

By: old convert sister

old convert sister — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 20:25:35 +0000

When your world “turns upside down”, the work and focus on creating physical order in your home can be very emotionally/spiritually grounding. The old adage “do what you CAN do” is positive action for me, and it has carried me through some tough places. It expanded to gardening and I discovered peace in the presence of order, confidence in the beauty and serenity I could create. Personal revelation comes so sweetly and clearly when a “sanctuary” is prepared.

By: Doug Hudson

Doug Hudson — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 16:02:15 +0000

Heck, you could replace “woman’s” with “man’s” in the second to last line and it would still be accurate for many people. I know I use cleaning as stress relief.

Although the line “no sudden urge to be domestic” is interesting in a poem from the 1950s.

By: MDearest

MDearest — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 06:01:38 +0000

Such truth in poetry. I only wish I could turn my angst into good housekeeping, but perhaps it’s not good to have too much of that fuel.

By: Carol

Carol — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 04:43:15 +0000

Housecleaning is a great stress relief for some people. This goes to show that you can’t assume that life is going well just because her house is spotless. (For some, the first thing that goes in hard times is the cleaning.)

By: Ardis E. Parshall

Ardis E. Parshall — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 00:54:04 +0000

Maybe, kevinf, or maybe a recognition that women often turn (or did turn, when the home was a woman’s only real sphere) to the physical activity of housecleaning in order to deal with emotional turmoil. I know I do.

By: kevinf

kevinf — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 22:36:45 +0000

Ouch! Where was this published? Protofeminism in the RS Magazine!