not my pantry! I wish this was my pantry! sofi73 | stock.xchng

Would you like me less…
if you came to my house
and discovered my pantry is (still) a mess?

Would you like me less…
if you stopped in for a visit
and found that today (and most days) is not my cupboards’ best?

Would you like me less…
when, while having a cup of tea with me,
you must gaze upon a kitchen full of boxes
of apple jelly and apple butter and apple juice and apple wine
that haven’t yet found a ‘proper’ place to rest?

Would you like me less…
if you have to bump elbows with me
in my small kitchen, that causes me such stress?

Would you like me less…
if you found out that I usually forget to wipe my kitchen table after meals,
leaving behind, to be found tomorrow, nice stickiness?

Would you like me less…
if my children mentioned that I don’t do the hand-washing every night,
leaving pots and pans and things for sometimes 2 days? *Gasp!*
I must just be rebellious!

Would you like me less…
if you dropped by unannounced
and saw my organizing piles? (Scattered again? yes…)

Would you like me less…
at a family BBQ, on my back deck,
when you realize that the yard needs work, and the dandelions need to be pulled, and the solar-powered lights aren’t all working, and the deck needs to be refinished and some parts replaced, and the grease-catcher under the BBQ hasn’t been changed this season, and…..
… but I digress….

games and toys, lots of them, not always put away N1ckF | stock.xchng

Would you like me less…
if you ventured into my basement
to find EVERYWHERE board games and card games and puzzles and chess?

Would you like me less…
if you walked around inside my house
and found it obvious that nothing would pass the white glove test?

Would you like me less…
if you were invited over
but things here weren’t (ever) spic, span, and spotless?

Would you like me less…?
Because it feels like you would,
because it feels like you do like me less,
when me and my house measure up to the rest.

Would you like me less…?
Because I’m pretty much convinced
that if my house isn’t quite a bit better than this
that you won’t like it,
and you won’t like me,
and that you just won’t be comfortable at my address.

Would you like me less…?
Because I like me less when all of the above is true,
which is most of the time, if I’m really honest,
because life happens, and things unravel,
and my efforts feel useless…

Would you like me less…?
Because I like me less when all of the above is true.

It seems logical – I like me less…
why shouldn’t you
like me less too…?