In My Purple Bag

A double-zip wallet in plum perfect
a lilac credit card case
that actually holds gift cards
4 purple EnerGel pens with aubergine ink
one Sharpie marker in orchid
one in magenta
2 ballpoint pens I hate but keep just in case
a red beaded ladybug case
that holds my amethyst rosary beads
a small purple journal with a dog asking
Is it time to play? How about now?
an amethyst carbuncle with a pewter angel
a house key with a purple plastic sleeve
my truck key big and black and lost
to the abyss of stuff
one pack of tissues with lavender irises on it
… why is my bag so heavy…
a clear plastic glass case
with my purple marbled reading glasses
wrapped in a wisteria cleaning cloth
a fabric pandemic mask that says Poet At Work
an old Home Depot receipt I wrote a few lines
of a new poem on but can’t read it
can’t throw it out
a cluster of safety pins pinned together
several vinyl-coated paper clips in
varying shades of purple
band-aids, purple – where did I get those?
my cell phone in the military-grade
dark purple metal case… it weighs a ton
DogSpeak, my purple-cover poetry book
from last year’s 24-hour marathon because
you never know when you’ll be called on —
drug store / doctor’s office / laundromat
to read a poem or two
a pack of grape gum
… oh, that’s why it’s so heavy…

~ J R Turek Hour 11