They gave me a treasure chest when I was born:
a gift of magic, traditions and the seeds of truth.
They added the passing of the seasons,
the rolling crescendos of thunderous storms and,
tucked away in a corner, cynical laughter,
dragons fire and theories of belief.
They gave me the blues of Debussy’s flute,
the copper gold savannah dawn, the aching
cry of choirs at midnight. They told me
stories of heroes, of the futility of battles
lost and won. They shared their histories with me
and images of those long departed.
They gave me feast days and funerals to add
to my treasure; whispered rustlings on cold
Christmas mornings. I added a gull’s cry, a favourite
book, tinsel, tinfoil, a shiny new pencil, crumpled
brown paper, silk and satin bows, blue ribbons
and a post card from a friend.
I put in shades and shadows and angels wings, sea shells,
walks by the sea, a baby’s cry, twinkling fairy lights,
hopes and dreams, special patterned stones and
the first written word. Three ghosts; past present
and future are all in here. Time to close the lid
and pass the treasure on – my task is done.
Sue Spivey writes in Yorkshire.
7 Responses to “THE KEEPER • by Sue Spivey”
Comments
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December 1st, 2008 at 2:04 am
Great tally poem to kick off the new month, Sue. Well done. It’s a keeper. Thanks.
(I hope they’ll fix that typo in the 2nd stanza.)
December 1st, 2008 at 7:08 am
Lovely, Sue, a life-full of treasures.
December 1st, 2008 at 10:58 am
Sweet, Sue. Lovely imagery!
December 2nd, 2008 at 12:55 am
This is lovely. More, please.
December 2nd, 2008 at 10:10 am
A really beautiful poem which immediately stuck a chord.
December 3rd, 2008 at 8:43 am
Really great poem. I loved the fantastical images.
December 4th, 2008 at 6:21 pm
Wow, a lot going on in this one… enjoyed the read!! Congrats and thanks!