Ten years ago when
I got divorced, I
owned 6,000 books,
a riding mower,
a house on an acre
and enough other stuff
to supply a Syrian
family for a year.
Now I live in a three
room shotgun apartment.
A year ago I embarked
on a minimalist frenzy.
Out went the LPs,
the vintage stereo
equipment and radios,
the remaining books
(a Kindle is a
minimalist's best
friend), most of the
furniture (no one visits
here), boxes of magazines,
all the clothes not
worn in the past year,
all of my gadgets
and, best of all, my
wretched teaching job.
I wanted to pare my life
down to the essentials
and see what remained.
Now I live on practically
nothing with practically
nothing. I give my
occupation (when asked)
as Poet. That gets
wonderfully baffled looks.
I am eccentric to the
extreme and love it.
The cat and I, an old
anarchist and mute feline,
make the perfect minimalist
family living out the dregs
of an obscure, minimal life.
We are what we are, free
from the tyranny of things,
content to quietly
careen into whatever bit
of future remains to us
enjoying the minutes,
ignoring the years.
~mce