Shoes collect in eddies.
Jackets drape themselves.
Dust appears, where none have tread.
Books slump on the shelves.
Rust creeps from the sink-drain.
Hair grows in the shower.
Smears appear on windows clear.
Never clean, my bower.
All-encroaching Nature
Seizes opportunity
To alter carefully-arranged
And neat Humanity.
What point is there in fighting?
Let the ivy cloak the tree.
Why resist His insistent insolence?
Victorious Entropy.
Copyright 2022 Andrea LeDew
For another look at clutter, and how it defines a person, read Clutter. For a poem about how stuff can get in the way of achieving your best self, read Ballast. For a short-short story about being regarded as dispensable as we age, read Old Junk.
I am giving up, no, letting go on purpose: I have a climbing Ivy and a climbing Wisteria creating a wonderfully shady corner in my little garden by being gracefully hosted by a tree. I have long giving up on German standards of housekeeping. They are a pain in the neck and much more peace-disturbing than some dust balls or spider nets. No battle to lose if you don‘t fight it 😀
I think that’s the rigjt attitude Margrit! Wisteria is one of my favorites too, though the blooms won’t make it into the summer months around here. Enjoy your shady hideaway. Cleanliness may be next to godliness but a little mess is a lot more human. 😊
I’m losing the same battle.