“How to Snake a Drain,” by Mary Lou Buschi (Poetry ’04)

Poetry alum Mary Lou Buschi recently had three poems featured by Indolent Books. Read an excerpt of “How to Snake a Drain” below:

How to Snake a Drain

As the auger begins its journey down the drain,
push the end in until you feel resistance.

It was a shoe, one that could not be snaked.
Brenda sobbed when she found her Kork-Ease
unceremoniously jammed into the toilet.

It all happened between English and gym
in the 2nd floor bathroom.

No one would come forward to say that they had done it.
Was it an accident? Was someone playing catch
over the bathroom stalls? Did Brenda do it herself?

You may have to apply pressure as you rotate the snake
around the tight curve into the trap.
The rotating action enables the tip of the snake
to attach to the clog and spin it away or chop it up.

Brenda denied the claim.

If the clog is a solid,
the auger head entangles the object.

Read the rest of this poem here: https://www.indolentbooks.com/what-rough-beast-07-28-20-mary-lou-buschi/