Housekeeping
Empty me.
Take out the trash.
Wash the walls.
Wash the windows.
Scrub the floors.
No matter that no one is here to see.
Housecleaning is not for the neighbors.
It is for you.
About this poem
I met someone at the diner this morning. A local who had been reading my poems for years, it seems. “You are so much happier and jovial than I imagined.” she said.
In her wonderful book “The Artist’s Way”, Julia Cameron advocates for morning pages. Three pages, hand written of whatever is on your mind. Not for others. No need to worry about style or spelling. It is sort of a bloodletting of the soul. To empty poison so you can get on with your day in the best possible spirit.
It works.
In a real way, that is what I am often doing with my poetry, which is why it is often darker than I am.
Quarry House 
I really like how you do talk about things like depression which is at an unbelievable level in my home, my friends and neighbors and my online students. COVID-19 certainly isn’t helping. Your poetry and art are beautiful because it reflects real life. For lack of better descriptions, the good, the bad and the ugly. In public we display a warm friendly smile but sometimes deep inside there are dark places. God bless you for all that you do. Dr. Jim Brown
Life is real. The best poetry is real. Thank you for your kind words. A man tries.