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      February 14, 2025Dick WestheimerPoem in Which I Inspect the Fabric Care Label

      after Denise Duhamel

      I never noticed the tag sewn discretely
      behind my knee. I guess my mother
      was afraid to clip it off. Maybe she thought
      “Do Not Remove Under Penalty of Law”
       
      was meant for her. My wife noted it
      before I did. What’s this she said as she
      thumbed at it absently. She held a mirror
      for me to read the fine print: “Made of flesh
       
      and insecurities. Wash gently. Hand dry.
      Prone to wonder if he is loved no matter
      how tenderly treated.” She nuzzled her cheek
      on my chest, stroked loose skin on my neck
       
      and then turned over and headed toward sleep.
      The label fluttered against my calf and I
      understood why it was not wise to detach it.
      How else was I to understand why,
       
      even with her caress still humming
      and forty years of knowing the answer is yes,
      I fret over what she’ll think of me pulling
      her close and folding the soft fabric of her
      into the care label of me.

      Prompt: Write an “in which” poem after Denise Duhamel.

      from Prompt Poem of the Month

      Note from the series editor, Katie Dozier

      “What starts as a humorous title inspired by Denise Duhamel soon plunges us straight into the suds. There is more truth in this poem than there are greeting cards sold on Valentine’s Day. Such a big part of relationships is learning each other’s care labels. Much like the itchy tags on shirts I have been known to cut off, a lack of intention can result in dismissing everyone’s needs. A freshly-laundered poem of tender, mature love that will stay on our line for many years to come.”

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