We have way too much stuff.
Sorting junk and packing books all day has me tired out. But the actual throwing stuff away is very freeing.
I want to ruthlessly weed through our junk. I wish we carried less along with us. Look at young Byron arriving at boarding school in Kenya with his one trunk and his one suitcase. Wouldn't that be nice if we got it down to just that each?
We always say you need a major move or a house fire every five years :-) And while I would never wish a house fire on anyone, I have to admit, there are perks. I wrote the following almost 14 years ago, a little while after our home burned to the ground.
'Ungrateful'
One morning I was stripped
Every precious and useless thing ripped from me
Naked on the slope I felt at last
Clean and light and shining
But people pitied that pathetic purity
and drawing from their own burdens
they gathered enough weight to bury me
The shimmering release was short-lived
and once again I am
far too heavily laden
6 comments:
mum i have to say simplicity is one of the things i am trying to learn....
i want to have less.
Hey Lisa, having just downsized our living space and therefore our stuff I can say a big AMEN! :)
yes, it's so nice to get rid of things... that's one of the best things I like about moving :-)... I wish to have less as well... when I travel backpacking I realize I don't need more then what I'm carrying...but once I settle I just start to collect things...
great poem Lisa...I wish my english vocabulary would be better for me to understand the depth of those beautiful words :-)
Love you
baba
it's amazing how STUFF accumulates while you're not paying attention. i remember reducing my belongings to 2 bags and a carry on a couple years ago, and it was the lightest i have ever felt. now after growing into a huge apartment i'm starting to feel the need for a serious de-clutter as well.
i hope that going through stuff and getting rid of what isn't needed remains freeing. it was great to see you last week!
nice to see you too, kelly, and to have that virtual tour of your apartment as we sat in the mac addicts corner :-)
oh lisa, I so appreciate the wisdom you have tucked away in beautiful poetry.
these lines are life-breathing:
But people pitied that pathetic purity
and drawing from their own burdens
they gathered enough weight to bury me
much love from Firenze...love you
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