Hiding light behind bushelIf you’ve ever brought us produce
If you’ve ever offered me tea
If you’ve ever given us a television
or a delivery of magazines

If you’ve ever blown out our driveway
If you’ve given us disc and harrow
If you’ve ever given us pickles: crisp, long and narrow

If you’ve ever invited us in for a cup of steaming joe
Let us join your Christmas gathering
or stood in our hall while I held the door on your toe

If you’ve ever sent us invitations
stood on our stoop
loaned us saws or boots
pulled us out of a snowbank
delivered pre-screened newspapers to our mailbox
given us a call
left a comment
stopped by to say hi

If you’ve ever done any of these things

And wondered, Why, Why, Why

Why hasn’t that Whimfield couple
dropped by for tea
invited you over for dinner
sent you a card
returned that email
dropped by to chat or
returned the favour

It’s because our house is messy
And we don’t have a kitchen
nor kitchen table
nor kitchen sink, for that matter

It’s because I’m easily overwhelmed
Because the goodness of neighbours makes me eyes bulge and my head go spinning

So if you’ve ever wondered Why, Why, Why

Please understand

That’s it’s not easy for me to leave this house
That I’ve got a running list of friends and neighbours and good deeds unreturned
But one day, I am certain, I will come a-calling

Dedicated to my friend J. Collicott-McGuigan, whose poem “Why, Why, Why” seems to have inspired this poem (of sorts)!