Tearing It Down

When I left the trailer, when I left
The pantry filled with soup cans past their expiration date,
When I left the living room busy with paint
And laundry-some clean, some dirty shirts-
When I left the chipped sink crusted with dishes,
The antique glass doors stacked in the corner,
The refrigerator hummed, the space-heater danced
In the bathroom, light streamed in the dirty curtains,
It was still morning, I hadn't washed my face, hadn't eaten,
Like almost everyone who was leaving that morning,
I thought it would be for a short time.

 Copyright © Janet Kenning, 2000.  All Rights Reserved.