a quest

no cobwebs here.
the store is cheery yellow
and smells of lavender and age.
a hush surrounds the contents
as if I walk a cathedral—
or a cemetery.

I explore the past,
a cherry shelf,
a butter dish,
a love seat in wood with a dark patina
that deepens in the hollows
where lovers once sat.
I touch the ring on my finger,
and imagine us seated,
his arm about my waist,
my head on his shoulder,
but I fear the delicate shape
will fail under the weight of the present.

deeper in the shop,
I find Aurora’s doom—
a spinning wheel,
the pedals worn
and the tension screw loose with neglect.
I wonder what would happen
if I touched the sharpened spindle.

near is a niddy noddy—
a spindled stick,
just long enough
to grasp tight in my hand,
with opposing crossbars
at either end,
used to wind skeins.
I wonder what yarns
this one has seen
as I run my fingers down
the cables on my scarf—
a rainbow of greens and blues.

at the back of the store, the books.
I run my finger down the worn spines
of a treasure trove
with no outward inkling
of what lies inside. I open them,
one by one and find a fairy story.
my ambrosia—
the liquor of the gods.
I breath in, drunk
on the smell of leather and dust,
and prepare to read.

line count: 48

Prompt for: Jan 21, 2016 ▼

Subject or Theme: You are in an antique store. Describe what you see while wandering around. What catches your fancy? Why? How does it make you feel? What thoughts come to mind as to where it came from or who might have owned it? What would you do with it?

Word(s) to Include: patina, ambrosia, cobweb (or any derivatives of these words)
Forbidden Word(s): it, antique, old, history, like (or any derivatives, compound or hyphenations of these words)
Additional Parameters: Must be at least 24 lines. Make sure your object is highlighted in green. Remember, do not use forbidden words ANYWHERE, including title or title or the brief description.