While Sitting there reading a book
I became conscious of the fact
That I still pick at my lips when I sit still
And have never really been able to stop
And I have tried to remind myself everyday
To start taking my shoes off before entering the house
To place them next to the door
In an orderly fashion right next to yours
And I have begun to remember to no longer buy
Bell peppers from the store or the market
And have now realized that I’ll only eat them
Whenever I choose to eat out in a restaurant
And, as asked, I’ve learned from a mutual friend
How to store shopping bags
Into little triangles
So that they fit in that grey box under our sink
And somehow I seem to always forget
As soon as I reach the foot of the bed
That I must take off my socks
Before I climb in
While sitting there reading a book
I tried coming to terms with the fact
That even though I had tried to stop for many years
I still pick at my lips when I sit still
And despite the lack of necessity
I now can remind myself to take my shoes off
Before I enter the house
And then place them next to the door
And for some reason I still don’t buy
Bell peppers from the store or the market
And only get to eat them in a restaurant
When I notice them there on the menu
And I noticed that I still fold my shopping bags
Into little triangles
So that they fit in a box
Under the sink next to the sponges
And the other day as soon as I reached the foot of my bed
I paused for a short moment
As a thought came to mind
I had nearly forgotten to take my socks off before climbing in
And while sitting here reading my book
I have come to terms with the fact
That even though I have been trying to stop for many years
I still pick at my lips when I sit still
And I don’t need to remind myself anymore
Because I always take my shoes off before entering the house,
Though I now place them on a shelf,
And they don’t have any particular order
And I’ve started buying bell peppers again
From the store or the market
But I no longer buy zucchinis or pumpkin
And don’t even order them when I eat out in a restaurant
And I still sometimes fold my shopping bags
Into little triangles
So that they fit in a box that is now under the TV
Though I don’t usually need to bother.
And as for when I climb into bed
Without thinking about it I always take off my socks
But I now must wear proper pajamas
since any old T-shirt won’t do