October 2024 Flash Lit 10:2 - Elbow Grease

Elbow grease
won’t do it.
There will always
be more laundry,
weeds to pull
out from among
the potatoes,
places
in our hearts
that need more
tenderness than
we can summon
by hard work.
So, even as we shine
with exertion—
elbows, too—
we slide effortlessly
into grace
where we can rest.