My Younger Self

I cleaned my closet out today
And this is what I found:
The remnants of my younger self,
Both touching and profound.

My Beatles dolls (just Paul and George)
And matching magazines,
Two plaster molds I’d painted
Well before I hit my teens.

Some programs from the football games
At which I used to cheer,
A datebook filled with Sweet 16’s
I went to that same year.

A bunch of souvenirs from trips –
West Point, D.C., the Zoo
And photos posed with family
Or friends that I once knew.

I traced my life through greeting cards
From when I met my spouse
And found a thank you from the agent
When we bought our house.

My children’s shoes, in boxes,
Are among the things I saved –
First sneakers, bucks and sandals,
Even snow boots – how depraved!

I threw away a bunch of stuff
But most I put right back,
A neater version waiting for
The next time I attack.

An afternoon revisiting
The life I used to lead
Made me realize that the younger me
Has disappeared, indeed.