In the living room,
there is a 2 by 2 foot ceiling square
upainted,
imperfect,
the leftover mark
from a leaky plumbing repair project.
Most days, I don’t notice it.
When I do notice, I remember,
the wet ceiling,
cutting the drywall,
discovering the ceiling/floor bracing,
identifying the leaky culprit,
getting the parts,
taking plumbing apart,
putting pipes back together,
testing for leaks,
screwing the drywall back in place,
spackling,
and then
moving on.
There was no more leak.
The potential major damage was averted
with direct action.
Yet, even when (If) I finally
smooth and paint over
the 2 by 2 square,
it will still be slightly imperfect,
different from its original state.
This imperfection reminds me of the work
needed
to fix what was potentially disastrous.
The repair projects of
my life
are not as easily fixed
as the plumbing.
And now, this imperfect square
reminds me
it’s best to take action
and remember
even healing leaves
a mark.