By T. Michael Mboya
These go into the pickup truck first
The hard bulky stuff
the beds, the bedside tables,
the dressing tables and their stools
(detach those long mirrors
lay them on the floor
Of the boot of the car)
the mattresses
the computer desk and its chair
the reading tables and their chairs
the book shelves
the TV stand
the sofa set, the coffee table
the stools and the pouffes
the dining table and its seats
the fridge, the gas cooker
and the gas cylinder
the satellite dish can perch
on the dining table
Take these crates, too
they are books
Lean the wall hangings
against them
and besides these, supporting them
that box of shoes.
These follow
In these here boxes
the bedding
the curtains and blinds
Roll the carpets
and place them along the sides
of the truck
The pots and pans
are in those boxes over there
Next to them
the plastic food boxes
Careful with the microwave
and the blender
same with the light bulbs
and the plates and cups in those boxes
Handle with care
the TV, DVD player
play station and decoder
even the stereo system
And please
don’t leave that toaster behind.
All clothes that can be folded
are in the appropriate boxes
mine here, Mum’s in these two
the boy’s in the rest
The towels are in there somewhere
the suits and jackets
remain on hangers
They will go
on the portable clothes rack.
Here are the groceries
here the soaps and oils
the tissue papers & c. here
No, those are wine bottles and beer cans
they go straight to the bin
Pour out whatever remains
These are old diaries
and papers that are written on
Let them be
I will shred and incinerate them
in a bit.
As for these files
that carry the certificates
and official documents
And these trophies
and these portraits
and photo albums
All the deeply personal stuff
together with the music albums
the laptops and cell phones
we will take them in the car
Some will go in the boot
We take only
what we are absolutely sure
we need
We cannot start with clutter.
Is everything in?
Is this all?
Are these the things
I have spent my life
gathering?
Or are they the things
that make it easier
for me to go out
gathering?
Will these things speak
of me
after I, too, am stuffed
into a box
and carted away
in a half full pickup truck
when my time comes
to move to that other
Place?
Prof. T. Michael Mboya teaches in the Department of Literature, Theatre and Film Studies at Moi University, Eldoret, Kenya
@TomMichaelMboya
