Doing Dishes

for Sasaki Roshi who taught me how

I'm told there are many, many people
who have an aversion to doing dishes.
I am not to be counted among them.
It is an activity I love dearly.
It is a joy, a delight, a true pleasure.
It goes beyond the sensuousness of
immersing my hands in warm, soapy water
particularly on cold winter mornings.

First of all, unlike most activities in my life,
it has a clear beginning and end.
Secondly, I'm certain I do it
as well as anybody else.
And finally, I think, it makes the world
just a tiny bit more beautiful.

-Steve Sanfield, Tangram