Porcelain Mountain: haibun (& narration)

September 6, 2025

Porcelain Mountain: haibun (& narration)

Inspired by Frank J. Tassone’s Haibun Monday prompt on “Labor” for d’Verse Poets, I wrote about the mundane labour of washing dishes.

Porcelain Mountain

written & narrated by Lesley Scoble

The crockery piled up in the sink, makes my heart sink. It looms—a porcelain mountain playing pick-up sticks with spatulas and grease-grimed pans. Ingrained egg and unrecognisable scraps of dinner cling to dimmed steel. Congealed sauces repaint the dragons on the Chinese patterned plates.

the new dishwasher
hums a soft melodic tune—
the freedom of birdsong

_{—Lesley Scoble, September 2025}

Audio — Porcelain Mountain

written & narrated by Lesley Scoble

Porcelain Mountain©️Lesley Scoble

THANK YOU
Thank you, Frank, for your inspiring prompt.
And thank you dear reader, for the taking time to read or listen to my poem.

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23 responses to “Porcelain Mountain: haibun (& narration)”

Sadje

September 6, 2025 at 9:38 am

Lol! A dishwasher is such a big convenience

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1. lesleyscoble
  
  September 8, 2025 at 11:09 am
  
  It’s labour saving. One still has to wash dishes though. ☹️
  
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  1. Sadje
    
    September 8, 2025 at 11:56 am
    
    Yes, for me, I found it easier to just wash them by hand!
    
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Violet Lentz

September 6, 2025 at 2:40 pm

My beloved, “Margaret” returns- today I was expecting her to call out to her protege (and real-life husband) upon completion of the recitation- “Mr. Stringer- are you listening?” Loved this!

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1. lesleyscoble
  
  September 6, 2025 at 2:45 pm
  
  🤣🤣🤣 I’ll add that on to the end the next time. 🤭 Thanks, Violet. Delighted you enjoyed it. 💗💗💗
  
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lisaapaul

September 6, 2025 at 6:27 pm

Oh, that feeling of dread is captured so well!!

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1. lesleyscoble
  
  September 8, 2025 at 11:14 am
  
  Thank you, Lisa! 🙏😊
  I’m sorry you can relate to the dread—though I suppose there are a few odd souls who actually enjoy washing up… 😁
  
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Michele Lee

September 6, 2025 at 8:27 pm

Poetry truly is everywhere. 😄 A delight to visit your blog and always unexpected. Love the clarinet in the intro. 🎵 Thanks, Lesley!

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1. lesleyscoble
  
  September 8, 2025 at 11:17 am
  
  Oh, thank you so much for your lovely comment, Michele. I love the clarinet too! I used to try and play it. My uncle was a great clarinetist. Made me fall in love with it. 🎶
  
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  1. Michele Lee
    
    September 8, 2025 at 3:45 pm
    
    You’re very welcome and thank you for sharing. 😊 That’s cool about your uncle. I started playing in third grade. 🎶
    
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murisopsis

September 7, 2025 at 1:52 am

Hehe! I was never one to let dishes linger dirty in the sink… Lovely haibun!!

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1. lesleyscoble
  
  September 8, 2025 at 11:18 am
  
  Trouble with dishes is that they never stop mounting up! 😁💗
  
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  1. murisopsis
    
    September 9, 2025 at 3:42 am
    
    It’s been 42 years and I’ve almost got Sparky trained to rinse and load the dishwasher… maybe in another 42 he’ll be a pro!
    
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  2. lesleyscoble
    
    September 9, 2025 at 7:51 am
    
    😁 It just takes a bit of training 🙃
    
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  3. murisopsis
    
    September 9, 2025 at 3:47 pm
    
    🤣😂🤣🤣
    
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memadtwo

September 7, 2025 at 1:56 am

I remember vividly our first apartment with a dishwasher (I was nearing 50…) We were so amazed at how clean all the bottoms of the mugs were after just one washing! When I lived for a year in a dishwasherless apartment again, it was a hard adjustment. But luckily, I’ve got one where I live now. (K)

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1. lesleyscoble
  
  September 8, 2025 at 11:22 am
  
  I spent too much of my life without one. It’s the way glasses gleam and sparkle when they come out that I adore. It’s a wonderful labour saving invention!
  
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  1. memadtwo
    
    September 8, 2025 at 1:54 pm
    
    It is!
    
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poetisatinta

September 7, 2025 at 1:39 pm

Lovely narration Lesley, and I know the feeling of a mountain of porcelain all too well, we haven’t got a dishwasher – so we just argue about whose turn it is 😄

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1. lesleyscoble
  
  September 8, 2025 at 11:24 am
  
  Thank you so much, Ange. 😊 There was never any arguing when we washed-up by hand. It was always me! 😂 So, I LOVE the dishwasher ❤️
  
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  1. poetisatinta
    
    September 8, 2025 at 5:27 pm
    
    🙌
    
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robbiesinspiration

September 9, 2025 at 6:18 am

Oh this is so funny. I only put cups and glasses in my dishwasher. Everything else I wash by hand. Your poem reminds me of a conversation I had recently with a colleague. She said if it can’t go in the dishwasher, she doesn’t use/purchase it. 😂🤣

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1. lesleyscoble
  
  September 9, 2025 at 7:52 am
  
  😂Sounds like a plan I might take up🤣
  
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