Plumber's Helper

Dreamed 1981/12/8 by Katherine Metcalf Nelson

PLUMBER'S HELPER The old toilet in the upstairs bathroom is leaking. A new one with Chinese writing on it is about to be installed. The head of the humanities department stands opposite me. White fuzzy hair. A big Santa Claus stomach. He says confidently, "I can fix it for you." "I need to call the plumber," I answer. "You have no tools." Instead of a plumber's helper, he hands me a multicolored bowl with a superbly decorated domed lid. Red in the center, encircled by deep blue and bright yellow with bits of green, its delicate cloisonné enamel reminds me of Eastern European Easter eggs. The best of craft and folk art in one form. It's surprising what unplugs "the head' if you accept the unexpected.