A Cleansing

By Jason de Koff

The bare floor tiles
have lost their gleam
from the tread of those
who seek to restore their own shine.
The constant rumble of drums
turn with the loads
they can hardly bear,
endless hamster wheels.
The unceasing, clinking staccato,
a reminder of lost values,
echoes within the soul
of a mindless machine.
The waiting, drifting, waking
amid the passive plastic chairs
that meld with flesh,
leaving behind their conformed designs.
Until the end comes
with its own urgent call
and empty vessels are filled
with resuscitations of life.

Jason de Koff is an associate professor of agronomy and soil science at Tennessee State University.  He lives in Nashville, TN with his wife, Jaclyn, and his two daughters, Tegan and Maizie.  He has been published in a number of journals including C&P Quarterly, Bandit Fiction, The Daily Drunk, Sledgehammer Lit, Ayaskala, Fahmidan Journal, Near Window, Briefly Zine and Words & Whispers.  His chapbook, “Words on Pages”, is currently available on Amazon at https://amzn.to/3eookJk.