It's funny what you find...

It's funny what you find
In the back of your cupboard
a tin can with no label
Why? But I hear you say, there are people starving in Africa,
you grew up during the depression
And maybe you looked forward to the surprise,
beans or peaches

It's funny what you find
In the back of your closet
a black sexy evening gown in moth balls,
the price tag still on it
waiting for a special occasion that never came

It's funny what you find
In the depth of your underwear drawer
the gold filigree earrings
that you never let me wear
You never said who gave them to you, not father

I hated you for a while after you said
sister was the artist and you supposed I was the better cook
labeling and denying me my creativity
you forgot how you used to pull the labels off the apple juice cans
so I could use the paper to draw on

I used to hide in the back of the armoire in the basement
I felt so small and no one came looking
until someone broke the mirror
I guess tired of looking at themselves
or was that me?

You had more faith in that tin can
more hope in that dress
more love for those earrings

I shoved my love for you deep in a drawer and covered it with mothballs
now its too late to bring it out
I wore the black sexy evening gown and gold filigree earrings to your funeral
I threw out the damn tin can

(c)2018 Catherine Elder