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le mot juste
© 2008 michele may

 

that old carpet

i hated that old carpet
stained all over
and crushed down flat

no matter how much i
shampooed it
it always looked dirty
and worn
by a thousand footsteps
ours
and those before us

i never got rid of it
like i said i would
i just kept on hating it
cleaning it
hating it
cleaning it again

before the new owner
even moved in
he ripped up that old rag of a rug
and revealed the most beautiful
wood floors

in every room
one hundred year old boards
four inches wide
twelve feet long

all this time hidden beneath
and protected by
our worn out carpet.