My house has the charm of the 1920s when it was built,
sturdy, with lots of crown molding, with a bit of a tilt.
It resides amid the trees atop a flight of fifty steps,
So, carrying up groceries can be quite a schlep.
However, my cyclone of a closet is where I wrestle.
Not enough nooks for my books, belts, and trinkets to nestle.
Because no matter how mighty
I try to keep my closet tidy,
It becomes cluttered with too many purses, scarves, and shoes,
Newish things that bling and, ol’ faithful staples, tried and true.
The strange thing is, I’m not a big shopper, trend-hopper,
Nor an over-the-boarder-clothes-hoarder,
But the other day, much to my dismay
I got a little carried away
And nearly pressed Amazon’s BUY NOW button,
When a voice inside shouted, Stop, you glutton!
Check the back of your closet, she said with a ring,
Didn’t you already order that silky turquoise top last Spring?
As I waded through the nether regions of my closet’s hinterlands
I discovered a glint of fabric shimmering, then clutched it in my hand
Sure enough… it was the very same turquoise blouse,
The one I was about to buy… again… like a louse.
The fabulous shirt still had its tags and packaging,
That’s when my inner told-ya-so voice did sing:
Everything you think you need to feel a sense of pride
Will not be found in the marketplace’s diatribe,
What you truly need, will always and only reside
In the one place, you forget to look – on the inside.
So next time I forget and feel compulsively needy,
I’ll consider the wise words of Melody Beattie,
“It’s so ungodly easy to see what we (think we) don’t have.”
What a bitter pill to swallow, yet a true healing salve
To venture into my closet, for my next shopping spree,
Where I’ll shop ‘til I drop in wild abandon… for free!
Everything I Need I Found in My Closet image by Adrienne Leonard from Unsplash
