On the eve of Excess Day
Husbands and wives
Can be heard
Bickering back and forth
Trying to determine whose excess
Must leave the house

Husbands cling to old rods and reels
Wives insist they need their curling irons
Small children hide balls and dolls
They haven’t played with in years
Dogs hide their worn-out chew toys

But when dawn breaks on Excess Day
The sidewalks are lined with the
Detritus of daily life
Fishing reels curling irons balls
And dolls and much much more

The crowds sweep down the street
In search of bargains treasures or
Just something they don’t have
And don’t need or so say
Husbands to wives
And wives to husbands

By mid-day prices begin to drop
As the crowds begin to thin
Books bird houses bar stools
Pottery paintings and more
Fly off the sidewalks and
Before long the day is ended

One family’s excess is now another
Family’s excess and sure to be seen
Next year on the
Other side of the street

Jeff Moredock, June 2013

[This poem is included in Jeff’s poetry anthology, Poems from Essex & Elsewhere. Visit “Excess Day in the Village of Essex” by Jeff Moredock” to watch a video of Jeff reciting this poem.]

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