“Spring Cleaning”

The snow had stopped,
but still, she refused to go outside.
She sat frozen
in her grandfather’s beloved armchair,
unable to move, unable to speak.
You would think
she was the one who had a stroke.
But the ice was beginning to thaw
and new things were beginning to grow
and it occurred to her
that the house
could use a good clean sweep.
And so, she rose,
determined to clear away
the cobwebs of her soul.
She dusted the mantel
and cleaned out the cupboards
and polished the silverware
until she could see her own reflection,
and suddenly,
the place felt far too cold
and too dark for her liking.
“No, no, no,” she cried,
as she pulled down the drapes.
This was not how her life
was supposed to look.
And so she changed it.
And the drapes fell.
And she let the light in.