San Gabriel Valley Poetry Quarterly

Petrouchka Alexieva

Don’t Clean the Dust

Don’t clean the dust.

Don’t worry.
Tomorrow will be the same.
Today is a beautiful day,
Just go out with a friend.
Don’t clean the dust.
It will cover the furniture well;
It will cover the rust,
Few scratches, and the broken lacquer.
This way, nobody will notice, my friend.
Don’t clean the dust
From the mirror.
It will help to hide what you’ve got:
Few wrinkles, few spots on your face
and the traits of unpleasant events.
So, what?

Don’t waste your time.
Invite a friend in a rainy day;
Have some cookie and tea;
Sing a song or scream.
Don’t let others to live your dreams
Somewhere there, out there.
Don’t clean the dust.
If you cannot draw in the mirror
A big happy face;
If you cannot write in the lacquer
“I LOVE YOU, my friend!”
Then…what is the meaning of cleaning?