what to keep, what to throw away,
what to store, what to mark free
and leave out on the street?
this ceramic piggy bank
(the kind you have to break open)
seemed a bit distressed about being
wrapped in newspaper for the big sleep.
i thought of poe's premature burial,
packed in more paper, squeezed
in some inline wheels and deer antlers.
who would have guessed exhumation
was close at hand? who would have
guessed sarah had a soft spot for it?
part of our problem has been my yen
for possessions, the clutter and intrusion
of my many collections, but no matter
how much i put away, more things remain.

...and others return, not ready for the grave.