A young couple came to take away the bed today,
Clifford, the platform and drawers underneath
the old king that we moved here in 1987,

though in those days it all supported a waterbed,
which we replaced with a regular mattress,
which I replaced after you with a foam bed,

allegedly with memory. Now, I wonder, what
does it remember? The even bigger question:
What’s the floor look like underneath?

You left only enough carpet and pad for the bed
to rest upon, stripping out the rugs throughout
the house, letting the old hardwood breathe.

It’s been breathing ever since. And the good
news of the day is: The floor looks great.
New bed’s coming Friday. I swept the space

where we slept for years, grateful once
again for this house we first made home
39 summers ago. You, sadly, departed

14 years later. The old king, thankfully,
has gone. A new queen is on her way.
Long live the queen!

•••

In memory of Cliff Polland (1952–2001).

With thanks to Leon and Marissa of Handy Hauling
in Sacramento, for their efficient, super-careful dismantling
and removal of the old bed and furniture.