has to be ironed, the sea in its whiteness;

"In Praise of Ironing" Pablo Neruda

It has to be loved the way a laundress loves her linens,

the way she moves her hands caressing the fine muslins

like a lover coaxing, or a mother praising.

It has to be loved as if it were embroidered

with flowers and birds and two joined hearts upon it.

It has to be stretched and stroked.

O this great beloved world and all the creatures in it.

It has to be spread out, the skin of this planet.

The trees must be washed, and the grasses and mosses.

They have to be polished as if made of green brass.

The rivers and little streams with their hidden cresses

must be washed and starched or shined into brightness,

and the foam of the oceans pressed into neatness.

It has to be ironed, the sea in its whitenes

and pleated and goffered, the flower-blue sea

till it shines in the sun like gold leaf.

Susan MacRae explained her selection as follows:

Some topics in this essay:
Pablo Neruda, Dialogue Poetry, PK Page, PK Page's, British Columbia, Page Canada, Susan MacRae, Civilizations Poetry, Officer Canada, Malahat Review, skin planet, smoothing holy surfaces, pk page's poem, smoothing holy, glosa form, pk page's, susan macrae, hands moving, holy surfaces, ironed sea, ironed sea whiteness, spread skin planet, planet earth, sea whiteness,