THIS IS MY LIFE

After each time I clean the garage
I have a new life.  It waits for me
like an exuberant puppy, barely able
to restrain itself.  It shines.

And it does not remember
any previous lives; it’s like
a new suit; people are aware of it
only when I wear it.  Otherwise,

like the old bicycle and the toothless rake,
despite its enthusiasm and verve,
it hangs perfectly visible on the rear wall,
hardly noticed until my next Spring.

11-24-01