“My Filing Cabinet” by Carole Withanee

Imagine, if you will,

a sleek filing cabinet.

Three drawers tall and

brushed stainless steel.

Everything is organized;

Alphabetized and

systematized.

The top drawer slips open easily on

well-oiled slides.

Hanging files and matching folders.

Sunshine yellow. So bright and cheerful.

Every folder, brand new and crisp.

Feelings of joy (filed under “J”), love and 

laughter (filed under “L”); these folders overflow.

There is no room for sadness or regret here;

These are in another drawer.

The middle drawer needs a slight tug

before it will open.

These folders are green, like the earth.

These are my experiences;

lessons learned over a lifetime.

They are what have shaped me, helped me to

live well and to love.

There is no room for sadness or regret here;

These are in another drawer.

The bottom drawer is full of

tattered manila folders.

It is rusted from dis-use and rarely opened.

I have known sadness, ‘though rarely regret.

I have known depression and grief.

I have known fear.

I keep them in these folders to

remind me.

They are cross referenced

to the files in the middle drawer.

Which are cross referenced to the files

in the top drawer.

All of which is me.

*** 

Carole Withanee lives in the Toronto area and has been honing her skills as both a fiction writer and a poet for the past several years. Her inspiration comes from things she encounters anytime and anywhere.

See Brian Henry’s schedule here, including writing workshops, weekly writing classes, and weekend retreats in Algonquin Park, Alliston, Bolton, Barrie, Brampton, Burlington, Caledon, Collingwood, Georgetown, Georgina, Guelph, Hamilton, Jackson’s Point, Kitchener-Waterloo, London, Midland, Mississauga, New Tecumseth, Oakville, Ottawa, Peterborough, St. Catharines, Sudbury, Toronto, Windsor, Woodstock, Halton, Muskoka, Peel, Simcoe, York Region, the GTA, Ontario and beyond.