Tossing Papers

I destroy papers.
Nothing to do with recycling,
Everything to do with recovery.
I will never find the documents if filed.

I spend time
Debating the alternatives;
By subject, date, author?
Which should be discarded?

If asked “why I discarded a paper”?
I usually respond “I believe in recycling”.
Occasionally I suggest that keeping the papers means
“The terrorists are winning”.

I have not worked out the cause and effect,
But no one wants the terrorists to win.
Responders nod sagaciously ,
Meaning “Leave this crazy man alone”.

I had a lawyer who suffered a similar malady.
He had files covering his office floor.
That way he could claim he was working on them.
And could not possibly put them away.

I work on Thoreau’s system.
He hypocritically claimed files should
Be kept on a thumbnail,
(But could supply a list of every half-penny he spent.)

I feel my descendants will be grateful.
They need not concern themselves with
Sorting all manner of poor punctuation.
They need only take the cash, if any, and run.