Mary is cleaning out
\nthe medicine cabinet.
\nThere are expired dates
\non all the pain relievers.
\nHow is this so?
\nWas there no pain in our lives
\nthis past year?
\nDid it explode flowers
\nevery morning?
\nWas there always laughter
\nbreaking the dishes?
\nSurely, a tear in the sink!
\nA bed of rocks,
\ndreams breaking our hearts.<\/p>\n
We did not use them,
\nso there was only happiness!
\nOr the baby oil our daughter left.
\nHow old does oil become?
\nFrom millions of bones and leaves
\nheaped together for millions of years.
\nThis is only a few hours old, still good.
\nAnd little bars of soap
\nfrom suitcases,
\ngathering like a pile of stones.
\nHow did they get here?
\nWho threw them in our bags?
\nSo many gremlins.
\nInvisible spirits playing tricks.
\nOut it goes!
\nAnd so on.<\/p>\n
I suppose a good deal can be known
\nabout people from these excavations.
\nLook how much we are told
\nfrom a piece of pottery.
\nA broken rib.
\nSome ancient charcoal,
\nand amidst it all, baby powder,
\nin a bowl so ancient
\nthe world was utterly new.
\nOr, I shudder in thinking,
\nbeing born,
\nGod was up to his elbows in diapers,
\nand put it in the jar
\nfor future use.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Mary is cleaning out the medicine cabinet. There are expired dates on all the pain relievers. How is this so? Was there no pain in…<\/p>\n