In My Linen Closet

In my linen closet
There are sheets that go way back.
In going through them, I have made
A quite imposing stack:

The brown and orange flowered ones
Of hippie-ish décor;
My husband’s, used to cover
His old mattress on the floor.

Our first set as a couple,
With bamboo boughs, colored peach
And all the rest on shelves I need
A ladder just to reach.

My kids’ twin-sized cartoony ones
Or those with baseball themes;
The extra-long sheets for the dorm
Which held some college dreams.

It’s finally time to winnow down
All those we haven’t used
In many years and which to ditch
I’ve up ‘til now refused.

I’d heard the ASPCA 
Accepts old sheets and such
So they will find another home – 
I will not miss them much.

Yet still, I’m sad to see them go
But I won’t be too vexed
Because I’ll have to face the fact
The towels will be next!
Copyright © | Year Posted 2022

Poem

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Kingston Avatar
February 10, 2022 at 9:52 PM
Bought dorm sheets last fall. Never knew there was such a thing, tall students, longer beds of course. Maybe someday I will have a closet that looks like the magazine, House Beautiful. Tee hee. It was fun to relate to your funny poem. I enjoy what you write about.
Krutsinger Avatar
January 15, 2022 at 11:07 PM
Pets will be excited to receive! "The brown and orange flowered ones Of hippie-ish décor;" - I have these too!
Flood Avatar
January 15, 2022 at 11:13 AM
And i thought I was a hoarder. If you get rid of that lot, Ilene, you’ll need to downsize your house. Why is it that we can find twenty year old linen but not a two week old sock. ;-) Terry
Leffanta Avatar
January 14, 2022 at 10:15 AM
My oldest towel is from the Hotel Post in Rüdesheim am Rhein, and in April, it reaches the retirment age of 65-years . . . .save your sheets for Antiques Roadshow . . . . .a Swedish girl I know takes her "love" sheets out for a sniff from time to time . . . . .
De Beaulieu Avatar
January 13, 2022 at 2:53 PM
Hello Ilbene, you seem to have a lot of memories in that linen closet. Hugs.
Hankins Avatar
January 13, 2022 at 2:24 PM
Loved your poem, Ilene. Amazing what we find when we start going through drawers, right? I have drawers I'm afraid to look into. I'm sure the ASPCA will be most happy for the gift.
Awtry Avatar
January 13, 2022 at 2:18 PM
Time travel through the linen closet! Enjoyed this fun and thoughtful piece. The way you closed it —just perfect!
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