Burn it all away

Cleaning out history

Going through drawers

Cabinets, files, desks

Basement boxes

Closets and more

Finding notes and writings

From so long ago

I barely remember context

Viewing biological artifacts

That no longer serve

Blowing off the dust

Dead bugs and spiders

Photos before and after changes

Photos of appearances

From so long ago

What do I do with photos of

My families’ lives

That start before

The 1930’s 

Given to me to pass along?

Is there a heart-filled

Storage house available?

Or, rather do I throw away

Tangibles

No longer present

No longer needing to explore

What happened then

(Enough time and energy has 

Been devoted to the past 

Excavating history

Throughout my life)

Discarding pieces into the ground

To be recycled as I release

So many energies 

Back to the earth

To the skies

To the water

Exfoliating and excreting

So much stuff

These symbols of 

Long and full lives

No longer needing to be visually

Memorialized except in my

Heart and mind

Body and soul

Or, rather, should I hang onto

This part and that part

Screening out the tragedies

Keeping the good times?

I hear:

Burn it all away

Before collecting more

Create space, empty out

Ashes to ashes

Cleansing while not denying

Or avoiding

Having acknowledged and 

Accepted these experiences

While living in the present

More fully, no strings attached

No umbilical cords

Tying me to what once was

During my former life here

Preparing for the New Earth

Facing the void

Wandering down into the caves

Unearthing, and then 

Transforming what was into

What is now