Simplifying

when the new year hits
i start getting the urge to purge

to lighten up my dwelling

declutter

discard

donate

re-home


many of the things that messy up my sight line

there's no doubt
that the two sides of my decorating personality
are constantly at war with each other

collect! shouts one

simplify! calls the other

the truth is
that while mr. stuff and nonsense and i
could probably live quite well
in a minimalist home

our children could not

for their aesthetic is not at all like ours

natural magpies
they are drawn to anything that is shiny
dirty
rusty
sticky
weapon-like
cuddly
bookish
and just plain stuff

a constant refrain
in our neck of the woods is often

put your things away!

who left this play clay on the sofa?

if i step on ONE MORE LEGO...!

but i suppose
there are worse crimes
than crammed bookshelves


and crowded note boards


and if my kitchen looks lived in
that's probably because it is


there are nearly always
children's drawings taped crookedly to the walls

someone's half-finished letter
sticking out of a stamped, blank envelope
reposing on the table

clean dishes drying beside the sink
waiting to be put away

i know there will be years to come
when my living room will remain un-strewn with toys

my bathroom will have no damp towels lying crumpled on the floor

my kitchen will have nary an unswept crumb

and i've no doubt
that i will miss (mostly) every speck and spot

but perhaps today
i can convince my offspring
to part with a few of their trinkets
to give to the local thrift shop

but it won't be long
before other bits and bobs make their way inside
to nest under the sofa
or in a shadowy corner of someone's bedroom
jammed into a dresser drawer
already brimfull of 'treasure'

and i will continue gazing in admiration
at all those light and bright inspiration photos
on Pinterest and elsewhere


and i will think to myself

someday









all images via Pinterest