Tabula Rasa

When renovating a home

one could simply paint over the mistakes of the past rather than scrape away the mottled paint or rotten caulk that grows mildew and mold. We can cover up the foundation with more smooth stones, splintered lumber, and porcelain tile or we could take the extra moment of patience to sand, spackle, and smooth out the surface for a clean slate upon which to start fresh.

Each bubble bursts to chip away at the layers underneath the myriad of colors over the decades, shared lifetimes, and manic moods.

A cascading paint papier-mâché burrowing into the walls of my bedroom window. 

Putting in the painstaking effort of remodeling instead of building off the slanted and cracked flooring

will lead to a smooth joy that manifests

itself every day that you stumble upon it. A fresh coating of happiness on smooth plaster.