i opened my mind the other day
and saw that it was a mess

i unlocked the door
turned on the lights
and cracked open some windows

fresh air cascaded in
and taught me how to breathe again

it had been too long
since i swept those floors
they were ***** and grimy,
covered in life’s sticky sweat

a tornado
of captured times
and stolen moments
had blown through

so i reorganized
and prioritized,
filing fun under urgent
and fear under forgettable

once i was done
there was so much empty hardwood floor,
i just knew that i was ready
to fill it up with more