The Art and Exercise of Mopping

(From Chapter 2 - The Laundromat and Tasks I Do)

The place is empty, so I sweep,
put out the yellow “Caution-wet floor” signs
and grace our hottest water with precious Lysol.
Stringed friend as a rudder,
I then steer the wheeled bucket toward the front door.

I’m ready for my mopping work out.
I operate my arms at a low height to preserve my rotator cuffs,
bend my legs so they can assist
and tighten those sleepy abs.

Who needs a gym membership?

I’ve perfected some moves:
the out and back pumping motion with one arm
(alternating sides is essential to promote symmetry)
the Figure 8
the windshield wiper
name-writing in cursive
and the classic two-handed side to side when boredom
or fatigue set in.

I add extra elbow grease when needed
as I cover the 3,694 square feet I know so well.
The high traffic spots are engrained into my
mopping routine:
around the front rug
under the picnic tables
in front of the washers, changer, vending machine
and toilet, of course.

Goodbye:
soap drip spots
soda spills
sidewalk slop
smashed snacks
surprised spiders

and hopefully a few of my unwanted calories.