With five days of giving left to go,

I’d hoped all the de-cluttering would show.

But even though now we own much less,

Shelves and counters are still a mess.

 

My deadline gave me a stronger urge

To work much harder at my purge.

Each kitchen cabinet got one last look.

Out came jars, trays, a cookbook.

 

In a desperate clean-out dance,

I grabbed some bookends, a pair of pants,

Cups, a cooler bag, some socks,

And stuffed them into an empty box.

 

On it I wrote a “Free Stuff” sign,

And left it on the sidewalk for locals to find.

I pictured passersby on the street

Rummaging through and finding a treat.

 

The image made me smile as I went for a walk

With a friend with whom I’d been dying to talk.

When we came back, the whole box was gone.

I’m not sure really what went on.

 

Though sadly, there was no rummaging.

I still got rid of more belongings.

So I headed back home with a smile on my face

To enjoy just a little more empty space.

 

 

Our cat Sonic on a relatively uncluttered kitchen countertop.