Shiny

By Cliff Lake

 

Shiny

 

He did not often wonder,

At the sum of his life,

There was no need,

He accumulated.

Once, he collected friends,

But promises are cheap,

Or are not meant to be kept,

Or are simply forgotten,

And circumstance intervenes.

His friends grew less, or,

Grew away, or,

Were less than friendly.

Such is life,

Such is time,

And who can explain either?

So,

He accumulated.

He acquired things.

Many were of value,

Others were of memory redolent,

Unmarketable,

And yet dear.

Uncatalogued,

They suffered permanent arrangement,

Suffuse with subjective situation,

Patterned for only one recognition,

Yet not disorderly.

Crowded collection,

It was tended.

His days became a shuffle of cleaning,

A dustman in dotage.

There were moments.

Memories lit by a sunbeam,

Times of a deepening past illuminated.

Then,

On a day,

He let go,

Passing into the long sleep.

Not many days after,

He was found among his clutter.

Everything was shiny.

They packed it all up,

And he was gone.

…

 

Cliff Lake 5/1/2024

Copyright © Clifford Lake 2024

Location: Wichita, KS, USA

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