This one started from a writing prompt and then took on a life of its own.
His shirts in the drawer
She can’t stand seeing them anymore.
Sees the buttons she replaced
The stains she tried to erase.
Worn out memories
Faded logos and words.
She closes the drawer
Leaves the shirts in their place.
Third drawer down
That’s where they’ve always been
Clean and neatly folded
Growing older with each day
A reminder of good times, bad times,
And all the times in between.
When it’s time to move
She doesn’t know what she’ll do
No need to bring the furniture
Just what she needs to live,
A few reminders of where she’s been,
And space.
His shirts in the drawer
She kept them because it was easier
Than giving them away.
Soon she will need to decide
What to bring and what to leave behind.
Her head tells her to let go
Her heart asks her to hang on.
Her hands want to touch the softness
But she knows what they need to do.
Lift the shirts out of the drawer,
Place them in a bag,
And remove them from her life
forever.
