Grimy, dirty, on the stairs

When I welcomed you to my home

An empty house before

I scrubbed and cleaned

But the stain remains

A reminder – every morning

Every evening

Tearing out the carpet

Replacing the stain-resistant padding

The stain returned

A reminder of some forgotten spill

Here before you moved in

You tried scrubbing, just the same

But the stain remains

Although the house lay empty

A reminder – every morning

Every evening

From my recent book of poetry, short stories and art: You Don’t Look Artistic

More about my books at thewallsinstead.com