I look around this house and see over thirty years of collectables, old and new, bought and homemade. My sister once likened our house to a museum, and there is something about her comment that rings true. However, it doesn’t express the simplicity that I feel day in and day out living here, even when I am overwhelmed by the thought that we have too many things. Donald Hall would understand.
The Things
When I walk in my house I see pictures,
bought long ago, framed and hanging
-- de Kooning, Arp, Laurencin, Henry Moore --
that I've cherished and stared at for years,
yet my eyes keep returning to the masters
of the trivial -- a white stone perfectly round,
tiny lead models of baseball players, a cowbell,
a broken great-grandmother's rocker,
a dead dog's toy -- valueless, unforgettable
detritus that my children will throw away
as I did my mother's souvenirs of trips
with my dead father. Kodaks of kittens,
and bundles of cards from her mother Kate.
Donald Hall
The Things
When I walk in my house I see pictures,
bought long ago, framed and hanging
-- de Kooning, Arp, Laurencin, Henry Moore --
that I've cherished and stared at for years,
yet my eyes keep returning to the masters
of the trivial -- a white stone perfectly round,
tiny lead models of baseball players, a cowbell,
a broken great-grandmother's rocker,
a dead dog's toy -- valueless, unforgettable
detritus that my children will throw away
as I did my mother's souvenirs of trips
with my dead father. Kodaks of kittens,
and bundles of cards from her mother Kate.
Donald Hall