Cleaning Out the Closet

Greeting cards and broken toys
And yo-yos missing strings
Were among the items ditched
With lots of other things.

Marble notebooks filled with math,
A horn that lost its toot;
Bags and bags of memories
All tossed right down the chute.

I’d emptied out the closet
For emergency repair.
It seemed the perfect time to whittle
What’s been waiting there.

Costumes, masks and crushed up hats
From years and years ago;
Magnets, pistols, doctors’ kits
And whistles that won’t blow.

Dusty dolls and lesson plans,
Cassettes with ripped-up tape;
So much stuff so nice when new
But now in sorry shape.

Finally I called it quits,
The salvaged goods all packed
Until they multiply
Then once again, I will subtract!