"Sorting Laundry"

"Folding clothes,
I think of folding you
into my life."

The quote above from "Sorting Laundry" by Elisacietta Ritchie is a metaphor comparing a lover to sorting laundry.  This sets a theme about love that is present in the poem.  The speaker reminisces about love as she folds the laundry. Certain object remind her of particular memories.  She describes the ups and downs of relationships with imagery of laundry such as "intact despite agitation" and "all those wrinkles to be smoothed."  In a relationship, there are always arguements and disagreements, but they can be "smoothed over" and love remains intact. At the end of the poem, the poet includes in overstatement that says a mountain of laundry could not fill the bed to describe how all their memories cannot replace their love.