The Old Curiosity Shoppe

The Old Curiosity Shoppe.


Off on a wander on a meander-y sort of day,
I came across this marvelous shoppe
At the end of an alleyway.

Like a fine brocade it drew me in
Senses reeling, didn’t know where to begin.
So much to look at, to examine, to touch
Including the cat asleep on the hutch.
A beautiful feline, all long haired grace
Who opened one eye and started washing her face.

I smelled some strange incense,
All languid, but fresh,
Saw paintings and gee jaws and
A purse of gold mesh.
An old fashioned quill just pining to write,
A kaleidoscope brimming with jeweled delight.

Then I saw it on a shelf down low
A sparkling, magical, musical globe.
It was the kind that one shook to see falling snow
But what caught my eye was its eerie gold glow.
Picking it up, I saw with some shock
That encased within it was this very same shoppe:
The cat in the window, the bell ‘bove the door,
I shook it watching the snow spin and swirl.

Suddenly dizzy, I felt sort of strange
And the shoppe all around me seemed to rearrange.
A curious feeling, part spinning, part sinking—
It must be that incense I was thinking.
I shook my head and the feeling passed.
I took a deep breath as I looked out of the glass:
lead paned window and saw falling snow,
Thought it was late and time to go.

But the door knob didn’t turn in my hand—
The door wouldn’t open and I didn’t understand.
Then I felt my world shaking - back and forth/to and fro
Realization sunk in---Nooooooo!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The long haired cat stretched
and then batted at the snowglobe
lying on the floor
of the Old Curiosity Shoppe.