When I painted in art school, I got paint in my hair,
on my face and on my clothing. All these years later
placing my markers and brush on the counter,
I look down at my stained hands. Some things don’t
really change, and I take comfort in that.
There was once a time when most believed
that people needed to own few material objects.
Somewhere along the way, this sensibility was lost.
Now we re-learn the lesson and move gently forward
into the echoing vacant malls of our collected conscience.