Changing diapers
we once foolishly hoped
were a passing fad
too soon wistfully outgrew
all-star wrestling bouts
on sopping pads
consoled ourselves with
years of wiping runny noses
becoming laser-precise,
discreetly or not
plucking
odd clumps from noses,
Cheerios from ears via
pointer-finger-and-thumb
industrial tweezers
overcame
defiance deftly utilizing
Kleenex-and-spittum
wash cloths to rub
off or deeper in
crusted, dried
residues of often
unknown origin
and composition
frequently enough
for EPA containment
certification
Hazmat suits be damned.
Balled-up tissues,
sanitary wipes, pilfered
restaurant napkins
hand-me-down
cloth diapers,
parental shirt sleeves
tools of our lofty craft
Formerly resistant
now pliant,steady
hands carry QTip-
villager’s-torch
generational transference
fondly messy duties
resistant-to-disinfectant
memories will
render a someday
fragrant nostalgia
– Mark Lucker
Ponderable polemics, poetic 