Poetry: I’m not a fan, but I did pay attention, once

my bedroom is a public room
it houses two bookcases
floor to near ceiling

it has a big soft chair
what used to be called a club chair
(whatever that means)
when my grandfather used it
an uncle on the other side of the family
died
and i inherited a footstool
in a rare moment of generosity
my mother had them both recovered
so they matched — a dusty blue

my daughter grew up reading in this chair
i now read and watch television in it
on my open laptop
which sits across the room
on the desk
in my bedroom

beside the laptop sits the scanner
perfect for copying old family photos
and putting them in facebook albums

to the left of the desk; just inside the door
is a table with the ever-hungry printer waiting
for my next offering

back again up against the right of the desk is the highboy
for my clothes
on top of the dresser the fan cools the laptop
lest it suffers a melt down
amazing how i did without it for most of my life
and now
seems to be my lifeblood

looking more to the right; at the wall
a window lights
another desk/table
which acts as a working space
and a bedside convenience

and yes
there is a bed
in my bedroom
which acts as a bed, a couch; a playground for cats

we're on another wall now
which has three windows across

the blue chair sits at the end of the bed
the bookcases stand against the wall
between the closet door and the door to the hall;
opposite the table by the bed
and to the left of the chair
follow the bookcases
and we're out the door

which is usually open
because my bedroom is a public room
an office
a library
a place
where the cats (only two) like to stay
to read their window newspapers
or to sleep or to squabble
or to supervise my work

all of this is to say:
i make the bed every morning
not because of the possible company
not because i listened to my mother
but because
martha stewart (actually)
said it's a good idea
and i agreed

––––––––––––––––––––––––

KJ Hooten is a retired interpreter for the deaf in the Flint school system. She has lived in or near Flint since 1970. Besides writing poetry, she has published two children's books, The Egg Nanny Tales and Stories to Amuse the Kids that can be found on amazon.com.