first there was the flood
mushrooms grew
between rug and wall
students wrote in the stench
mildew and herbal tea
sage and dank earth
water seeped up onto kitchen
tiles, between concrete grout
puddled under yellow formica table
when it was time to pack
the cabinets poured years
of supplies onto counter tops
reams of colorful paper and boxes
of drying ink collided with scraps
of ribbon and glue sticks
the doll collection was lowered
into containers carefully; babies
and Barbies wrapped in tissue
even the heirloom doll was boxed
away in her layers of wool and lace
her porcelain face covered
and the myriad magazines
hoarded for collage work
were stacked into crates
as each object went into a box
the barren room
succumbed to emptiness
