My Ex BFF (A Poem)

I packed my OCD, and a weeks worth of clothes
in another city, outside her door, is where I froze
this is where I will be for the next seven days
hoping that when she asked for my help it wasn't just a faze  

the stench overpowering when she opened the front door
kitty litter among the clutter in the middle of the floor
she complains about the smell of other people's perfume
oblivious to the odour coming from her own living room  

trying to organize her apartment to be fumigated    
at the end of week one only one room was vacated 
a complete contradiction are the items she has in store
cleaners, containers, and garbage bags galore

soaps, shampoos, shower gels and conditioners
which she claimed not to have to any of her listeners
there was clothing, and bedding and balls of wool
crochet projects that had to be cut ... you couldn't pull

I seriously began to lose all sense of sanity
when she decided to waste time rearranging the vanity
she didn't like how I had organized her soap basket
wasting 'our' time reshuffling ... I almost blew a gasket
 
it's understandable the level of anxiety she must feel
not able to get into her kitchen to cook a decent meal  
telling me she would make me food if she could reach
I called her out on her B.S. & I gave her a speech
 
you've been cleaning your bedroom for over four days
you've moved stuff to a new pile, that's where it all stays
all of those clothes that you're so intent on keeping
even if it interferes with the space where your sleeping

the undercover bedbugs were on full nightly patrol
the flies seemed to have the aerials under air force control
one was determined to take giant chunks out of me 
the other covered any spare surface your eyes could see

at one point she asked me to tackle the kitchen
I told her that enabling her was not part of my mission
I suggested how she might begin the cleaning process
she just treated this situation like it was school recess  

her landlord had threatened to kick her out on the street  
unfortunately I think hoarding has my ex BFF beat
I don't think she understands the depth of her trouble
I have no clue what will break her out of her bubble

I did everything to help her that I possibly could
definitely way more than what most people would
I bought Chinese food for two the final night I was there 
I knew I was ending this friendship ... so that was only fair
 
it's not easy to watch someone fall off a pedestal
or realise that maybe they never belonged up there at all 
but by far the most confusing thing to me 
was how can she be acting as someone else's trustee?

by Cheryl Duggan
March 3, 2016