A Dangerous Game

"well-washed dollars, legal tender
for all debts public and private,
intact despite agitation;"
("Sorting Laundry" - Elisavietta Ritchie)

Well, this poem was a little bit bitter.  I can totally understand where this woman is coming from, and I thought it was clever how the author revealed this attitude to the reader.  Instead of directly stating how the speaker feels, images of clothes and other things put into the laundry are described.  My favorite image is in the quote above.  I think the "dollars" in this scenario represent the two people in the relationship.  Both were well worn and accustomed to each other.  Both parties took care of each other in public and private even when times were tough.  The "tough times" are referenced through the word "debts."  The speaker says that the money was intact despite going through the wash just as relationships can put us through the ringer. However, true love stays in place even through complications.  The woman thought her relationship was perfect until the one day when she discovered it had all been a lie.  I like how the author subtly mentions this through the "strangely tailored shirt."  The speaker seems to show indifference; however, the reader can tell that the speaker is depressed because all the clothes that she posses could not fill "the empty side of the bed."  I think this side of the bed represents her heart.  The speaker believes that no one person can fill the part of her heart she has lost.