The speaker starts with something ordinary: tidying a computer by emptying the Recycle Bin and defragmenting the disks. Old files get crumpled up, dumped, and forgotten. It sounds like routine housekeeping, but the second stanza shows what's really on the speaker's mind. A human brain doesn't work like a hard disk, and the speaker wishes it did.
The title, "Cannot Delete: Access Denied," is an error message, and it hints at the problem. The speaker can clear a machine but not their own mind. Memories linger there, and the poem describes them as "fungus-ridden," growing maggots that eat into the soul. The images are rotten and unpleasant, which suggests these are painful memories that have decayed into something harmful rather than fading away.
The mood is weary and bitter, with a dry, wry tone at the start that turns into disgust and quiet desperation. The speaker longs for the ease of pressing "delete."