junk drawer case, keepsake maze

junk drawer case, keepsake maze,
a place for bric-à-bracs,
odds-and-ends kept safe
yet out of sight--

links, clasps, posts,
pins and needles and things,
studs, nuts and screws,
wedding rings,

arrow heads of flint and steel,
a silk thread bobbin,
a length of rope, swatches
of cloth and satin,

tape, rusty old keys,
ribbons and bows,
two Master combination locks,
vials of scented oils,

glow-sticks, clips and clamps,
perfume samplers,
a fly hook and a lure,
notes and reminders,

wood glue,
a flash-light on a key ring,
gadgets of puncture
and binding, string,

instruction books, pamphlets,
polaroids, a pair of shades,
small picture frames,
tape recordings, magnets,

bars of airline soap, condoms,
love notes, clasp from a bra,
torn tickets to the opera,
a scribbled poem, envelope,

jeweler’s loop in alabaster case--
velvet lined and padded,
creaking of the drawer, rails screech;
memories kept-- yet to be discarded.







junk drawer case, keepsake maze
~noxalio~