my little brown trash-can
only gets to make that
dutiful trip to the end of
the driveway ever so often

unlike her peers ~ who empty
themselves every week of
others ruin and rubbish

she waits patiently for me
to collect all the nothingness
a single life does bring
and deposit it one day at a time

i almost let my brother and his
family borrow her today
when he asked why i wasn't taking
my little brown trash-can to the curb
i told him because she is empty

he then asks how i can go a whole week
without one bag of trash ~
i said because i am alone
then he blurts out ~ i wish i were alone

i simply say
the grass is always greener
on the other side
and the trash-cans all the same

and with that
i walked away

08/07/2005

Posted on 08/08/2005
Copyright © 2026 Shonda Chrissonberry