Thread: Moving Sale

I've been too busy with vacation these days!

Moving Sale

Pieces of life dismantled
and peddled off for a fraction
of their sentimental value.
You’re leaving a city
you’ve learned to love,
but often hated.
Street gangs and sirens screaming
on the streets, you’ve watched
them from the window
I am staring out from
as I write this thought down now.

It’s not so bad: you’re alive
and beautiful—
the graffiti that’s been there all three years,
on the bricks across the street,
is being pressure washed away;
the speckled red-brown wall
will soon be ready for another artist.

These things you’re selling
are going away with friends
and strange woman and men
(two of them just moved up here
to go to school like you did.)
The desk I’m writing on
and the chair I am sitting in
will both be gone soon.
It’s all going to go;
and then we’ll be gone too.

But these pieces of your life
will still be here in the city—
useful tools for new homes:
the veteran soul stuck
in the sofa and stools you’ve sold
will stay in Seattle forever;
because you never really leave
anywhere you live.

Hey this is really good. Nice imagery, a great story, a good peek into someone's head. Nice simple, clean writing. One thing I didn't care for was mentioning Seattle -- I think I prefer to conjure up a city on my own. It takes some of the mystery out of it, or something. Also, "anywhere you've lived" -- past tense, might work better.

It reminds me of a great Raymond Carver short story "Why Don't You Dance?" about a man selling off his things in a yard sale, except that's a pretty bleak story.

Nice one, Svir. Good images and flow, and I loved the ending sentiment.

Love this, Svir, you it got it across without going mushy, and what a fine sentiment it is. Kudos. I agree with Joe regarding "anywhere you've lived", and in "strange woman and men", it should be women, I believe. I really enjoyed this very much.

Best,
Lisa

Thank you all for reading and thank you so much for the suggestions.

pretty awesome poem, svir!