She beats the laundry
on the rocks before the stream.

She beats the laundry
til the linens are clean.

She lays out the laundry
in the hot sun to dry
heated by the sun
and sterilized.

She beats the dirty souls
on the rocks before the baptismal stream.

She beats the dirty souls
til the dirty souls are clean.

She lays out the dead souls
in the blazing sun
til they are sterilized.

Lonnie Hicks

http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/laundries/