My Shed (A Poem About Becoming A Man Again)

I practiced Zen in my shed today —
At first I was only looking for the shovel
But then I saw the rust and my father’s tools,
And I realized more work needed to be done,

And today was the day I had been waiting for:
I will take breaks when needed
To walk to the trash can
To sit on the shitter
To drink more water

And I will not do everything today
But in order to find the shovel
I will put back the drawers that are
Filled with rust and reorganize their contents
In a good enough way

And take the things that don’t belong
Out onto the driveway
So I can put them back when I know where.

If i find the shovel, i will use it;
If not, my pickaxe will work
Just as well;

I learned that the nails do not have
To return to the drawers where they used to live;
Everything can have a home
That’s good enough for now;
And if I get too tired
I can vacuum up the rest of it.

I will not be afraid of my shed;
I will not be angry about my shed;
I will organize it slowly
When I have time
Because it is my art too.

I never found my shovel,
But a man needs a shed
Where his tools can be found.