The speaker and their spouse return to a rented home after a fire has made it unlivable, and the poem follows them as they pack what they can into two cars and leave for good. The details are small and unglamorous: the smell of burning plastic, the rotten eggs in the fridge, the pots, pans and printer. Nothing is dramatic, and that plainness is part of the effect.
The most striking thing is the spouse's compulsion to keep writing notes. On the fridge, the windows, even a post-it on the toilet, he lists what the landlord should fix or clean. The poem suggests this is a way of getting some control and having the last word after losing a home. The speaker mostly watches, tired and quietly resigned, and the flat tone hides anger and grief. The mood is weary and bitter, with a little dark humor in the "friendly reminder." The ending, driving away with the smell still lingering, suggests the damage won't be left behind so easily.