Something I found in the carpet

This week

The Emperor lost both hands.

Snow White, who got her fairy tales mixed up,

Now down to one shoe.

And Annie proved me wrong

By misplacing the amethyst ring

I had finally decided she was old enough to have.

So I’ve spent a lot of time on hands and knees

Inspecting the carpet.

A tight off-white pile

That can be found in every home in the neighborhood.

From five and a half feet in the air

It looks pretty clean.

I steam it once a year,

Spot clean after inevitable run-ins with chocolate milk,

Vacuum twice a week,

And dustbust crushed goldfish several times a day.

But up close,

Eyeing each thread for flesh-colored hands

Or a speck of gold,

I realize that it’s a mess:

Cracker crumbs,

Threads,

Plastic price-tag holders,

Bits of lint.

After crawling through 2600 square feet of tile and pile

I’m revolted by my lack of housekeeping skills.

But then I stand up

And stop castigating myself.

From a distance(How most people see me)

I probably look pretty decent:

Neat home, cute kids, devastatingly handsome husband.

But I’ve always got my nose too close to the pile

Looking for lint and crumbs.

originally published 1/06