When I leave this life, what of my many treasures?
They mark my life, in many ways so measures
Old birthday cards from my children when so small,
could not have remembered birthdays, no, not at all
~
Letters from those special friends that left their mark
Faded pictures of an ancient picnic taken in the park
Programs of school plays I should have thrown away
Faded yet just as vivid as if were only yesterday
~
All these strange collections of oh so many years,
thoughts of ever tossing them brings me to tears
There is not a thing of value in this whole mixed lot,
yet I wouldn't't take big money for all this junk I got
~
If someone sifts through these mementos I hold dear
they'd get an idea of who I was, did when I was here
I'm not going to clean out this messy desk, as I might,
nobody's going to throw away a thing without a fight
~
Not throwing anything, shall bequeath to those left behind
They may paw through it all, keep anything they find
I really hate to leave all this unorganized clutter I do confess
But they shall know me better for cleaning up the mess
~~
My desk is always such a big mess! I keep saying I am going to start throwing away some of this "junk". That old saying, "one man's junk is another man's treasure" proves to be truer as time goes by, for me at least. How can I possible discard an old movie ticket from the first movie I took my oldest grandson to? Or a faded crumpled note from a first girlfriend in fifth grade? Could I even think of throwing away the script from a play in which I played a madman when I was a senior in high school? I do have so much baggage but then I have lived a while. I have decided that I am not throwing away anything! I shall leave that to others and maybe they might know me just a little bit better for cleaning up the mess.
