Dear Martha

I’ve been deep-cleaning my apartment over the last month or so. I am not a tidy person (why clean when there are fun things to do), but the mess had gotten even to me. Anyway, that just makes it a perfectly ironic time to share this particular poem. You can find the scripture here, for the record.

Dear Martha

Originally written February 5, 2016

Dear Martha, set aside the sponge and broom.
Put down the mop, and leave the mess behind;
The Master wants you more than a clean room.

The dusty shelves, the loose weft on the loom—
You’d be surprised how little people mind.
Dear Martha, set aside the sponge and broom.

Your sister Mary has never assumed
That we care more about a house that shines:
The Master wants you more than a clean room.

Do not, dear Martha, martyr yourself with gloom
To diligence. We want you. Don’t decline
In favor of your soapy sponge and broom.

Forget the laundry, scented with perfume.
It’s you with whom we want to spend our time;
The Master wants you more than a clean room.

He’ll soon be gone, his body in a tomb,
So hurry, dear girl; come now, don’t be blind—
Dear Martha, set aside the sponge and broom.
The Master wants you more than a clean room.

Photo by Saskia Wustefeld on Unsplash