I tidied up my truck today
cleaning behind where the back seats are
usually folded up to make storage space
as no passengers ride in this place
very rarely do I fold down the seats
as passengers I rarely carry
just me alone with the occasional dog
unless a neighbor is in a hurry
to get somewhere and hasn’t a ride
which is when I usually decide
to fold down a seat so that they may
get to where they are going today
behind the seats was a proper mess
of storage boxes and camera gear
there for when I hit the trails
which I do many times a year
although lately it has been too damn hot
for me to safely get out and walk
and so I am forced to stay indoors
and write poetry as my way to talk
to the rest of the world that I usually see
out on the trails people walking like me
I found some interesting stuff
in that space behind the seats
I even found an old kerchief
used to wrap around my brow
to stop the sweat from running into my eyes
from the way it smelt I don’t know how
I had not noticed it before
probably because it was on the floor
hidden under a couple of bags
small enough to be hidden from view
dried out and ready to be used anew
although along with a few other things
into the washer to make it clean
I found a lens that I had missed
rolling around on the floor
I had wondered what had happened to it
a wonder it didn’t roll out the door
I packed everything away
and tidied and swept the space between
now it is clean for a little while
although that is really not my style
I lean towards an organized mess
to make life challenging and a test
what fun is there in having things clean
and tidy and no dirt to be seen.

Written 8/30/2019