Cleaning Out

CLEANING OUT
by April Halprin Wayland

this big shirt
used to fit
but today I swim around in it—
out go all my give-away clothes

now my closet opens wide
it’s easy to find the clothes inside
hangers dangle
unoccupied

this idea
used to fit
but today I reconsider it—
out goes what I used to know

now my life is opened wide
it’s clean-swept, wind-blown…simplified—
it’s easy to find the me inside

published in Cricket Magazine April 2006 (slightly different version)