by Makena Seagle
You put a pot of cold water on the stove and
Turn the heat to high. You put a lid on it so it
Will boil faster and warm your hands over
The burner. You make it salty like the ocean
And add oil to the water, trying to do all the
Prep work while there is nothing else to do.
You look at the clock on the oven and you
Think of how long it will take to heat so you
Leave the kitchen to get your headphones
And while you’re in your bedroom you see a
Dirty dish that needs to be cleaned. You
Take the dirty dish back to the kitchen and
Check on the pot but it’s not boiling. You go
Back to put your old laundry away and return
And the pot has bubbles forming on the
Bottom but it’s not boiling. You go use the
Bathroom and wash your hands but now
The pot is boiling. The pot is boiling over.
There is water spilling down the sides and
Steaming, evaporating on the burner. The
Pot is boiling. The pot is boiling and if you do
Not stop it, it will leak hot water onto your
Kitchen floor. The pot is boiling over. You
Reach for the control dial and turn it off but
The heat does not stop and the pot keeps
Boiling. The pot is boiling over. You try to
Remove the pot from the stove but the
Handle is too hot to hold and the water is now
Leaking all over your floor and your feet.
The pot has boiled and is boiling over and
It is burning your feet and there is nothing
You can do to stop it. The pot is boiling. You
Made a mistake. It is too late to stop it.
Watched pots don’t ever boil
And so maybe, possibly
You should have just
Watched it in the
First place.
