Guest Duties

GUEST DUTIES

A guest does no laundry here,
cleans no spilled milk.
Free from domestic responsibilities,
there is nothing to be done
save drink our wine, eat our food,
and give us the joy of your smile.

When you are welcomed
you can do no wrong,
owe apologies to none,
are forgiven our collective past.

Yet when the time comes for you to leave,
when you step off our porch into the world
you are relied upon, obligated even,
to leave behind a small scrap of joy,
a warmth of recall,
a pleasant memory
of your having been with us.

©2025 Christopher Reilley 

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Shared with DVerse Poets for Open Link Night.

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