I was cleaning my attic just the other day,
And saw toy boxes on toy boxes,
Labelled and shelved in a long, long row.
I asked my dad why they were so dusty,
And he said,
“No one has moved them in a while.”
So, I took them down and thought:

Why are boxes their shape?
So cubic and standard.
Why not a sphere, or a triangular prism?
Why can’t you put a toy in a box,
And not have it in another too?
Why can’t any toys get out of the box?
What even defines what toy goes where?

There’s a box for the dolls, all made up and fragile.
There’s a box for the action figures, muscular and strong.
There’s a box for the race cars and one for the animals too.
But where is the box for a Barbie, who wants to play sports?
Where is the box for a G. I. Joe who happens to like pink?
Where is the box for a race car, whose engine just doesn’t run right?
Where is the box for an animal, who acts more like a human?

This got me thinking.
Why not get rid of the boxes?
Why have any boxes at all?
I’m tired of these boxes,
Because their labels just don’t fit.
Anything can go anywhere,
And it just might.
If, and only if,
I take everything out of the boxes,
Remove the labels,
“Barbies”, “Action Figures”, “Race Cars” and “Animals”,
And throw the boxes all away.