Everyone has a place like this in their home.
(Don’t lie: let’s get real with
Admitting this is where you toss whatever
You don’t want to deal with.)
Mine is the kitchen counter right drawer.
The contents one can easily see:
An audio cassette without a label beside
A padlock that’s lacking a key,
A pot holder from a now dead politician
2 (or 5) broken pencils
3 plastic bags containing complimentary
Take-out order utensils.
My friend Annie calls these denial drawers.
They put us in bad moods. You
Think you can confine them but they tend
To grow even faster than kudzu.
If you don’t watch out (no matter how much
You deny it to yourself or your wife)
These denial drawers pave the way for you to
Eventually wind up with a denial life.
Feeling alarmed? That’s the right response –
If you’re additionally a bit out
Of sorts, stop reading this poem and go throw
Some of your useless shit out.