The Redundant

Have you seen them?
 
That slop of mortar without a brick
 
That dying leaf without a tree
 
That cold coffee without conversation
 
I was one of them
 
a bent feather without a nest
 
a dusty book without a shelf
 
a cracked handbag without a purse
 
When was the last time you used that kind of sense
 
to see a lace without a shoe
 
a button without a shirt
 
a rusted bicycle without a destination
 
The world is overstocked with the  unwanted
 
Children no longer in demand
 
Hungry mouths that no longer justify love
 
Accessories that are too high maintenance to keep
 
Thrown upon the factory floor scrap heap

And even if we are worn,
we wonder what it's for

Cause we know the welcome mats of our mothers' hearts

were charred in the flames of antiquity