I search for cleanliness through the clutter

like a lost soul in the desert seeking a sip of water.

Books, blankets, clothing, games, computers,

dishes, puzzles, food, groceries, wrappers, laundry, mail.

Clutter in every nook and cranny.

I pray for cleanliness through the clutter.

 

I can’t walk three steps without tripping over something.

 

It began with an idea of having some of the rooms repainted,

but then it turned into something

even Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout would find hard to believe.

Family room, living room, bedrooms, kitchen, and even the fireplace.

Now where to put all that stuff?

My office, of course!

Imagine placing six rooms into one.

I think we ruined the carpet and cracked the window.

 

I can’t walk three steps without tripping over something.

 

I have been pinned in this chair for days

under cardboard boxes filled with photo albums and DVDs.

I’ve been tapping out S.O.S. against the wall

With nothing to show for it except a fist full of bloody knuckles.

Thank goodness my daughter left some Big League Chew in a pair of jeans.

I wonder if my family even notices I’m gone.

 

I can’t walk three steps without tripping over something.