we are here to help you

when I get home from work
the living room
is full of friends and family,
a few strangers who look
familiar from the mall.
they are sitting in a circle,
smoking, drinking coffee.
some are on their phones,
others talk amongst themselves.
what's happening, I ask.
still in the hallway
looking in.
we love you, they all say as one.
we love you and want to
help you. I look around the room,
off to one side
is a pile of clothes.
then another pile.
a pyramid of pants and shirts,
shoes and socks. the kitchen overflows
with coats, some with the tags
still on them. things are hung
on all the doors,
new clothes, old clothes.
there is a trash can full
of receipts and labels,
the sticky size strips that
I've pulled off and left on the floors.
you have a problem, someone
says gently, easing me to the center
of the room where an empty chair waits.
we are here to help you with your problem.
someone else takes the large
bag from macy's out of my hand, then
the other one from kohl's,
and says, let's begin, who wants
to start us off?