I’ve been shedding bits of myself lately-
Discarding layers
Like pilled sweaters and torn jeans in a heap on the floor,
Too careless to aim for the hamper
And call them as they are-
Pieces in need of care and mending.
Sometimes I’ll pick part of me back up and wear it again,
Beyond acceptable condition of wearability.
A muddy thought.
A wrinkled smile.
A stained mindset.
And it just doesn’t look right somehow.
And then I realize that I packed away the appropriate wearables months ago,
Vacuum sealed in a Small Space Bag
In a plastic bin from Target.
I open the bin
And see the love, friends, hobbies, memories, and plans shriveled up like raisins packed for space rations.
I open the bag and they puff up into grapes again,
Turned with the chemical perfume of storage.
I wash my wearables
And extra spin so they look their best.
I slide into a brightly colored memory,
A cotton blend of calm and nostalgia that allows room to breathe.
I am me once again,
Happy thoughts folded in the drawers
where I can reach them,
The hamper and floor – empty,
Ready to collect me
When I am over worn.
cozy does it 