The Antique Shop – A Poem by Kate Hanford

The Antique Shop

One of my favourite pastimes is to spend half an hour browsing in an Antique Shop. It’s not the valuable, ostentatious items behind glass cabinets that I search for. I like to spend time looking through dusty boxes at the back of the shop. I have tried to convey in the poem the feeling of history, sadness, and nostalgia that overtake my emotions when I spend time looking at antique objects.

Teapots conjure up memories of families gathering around an old scrubbed kitchen table with the teapot right at its centre. Disputes, grief, celebration, births, and deaths would be discussed in depth over a good strong cup of tea, and oh what stories that old, chipped teapot could tell!

Medals make me feel terribly sad. The sacrifices made in order to receive these war medals should be honoured and the medals cherished. They should never end up in a dark corner of an Antique Shop with a price tag attached.

Writing Desks fascinate me. Imagine the letters, poems, possibly even books that were written on that old, rickety desk. Probably, hours were spent there pouring feelings and emotions out on to paper, Where did the love letters go? and Did the books become bestsellers?

The Antique Shop is a poem about all the imagery and emotions I feel when I visit a shop selling objects from a bygone age.

 

The Antique Shop

Books standing proudly wearing jackets of dust

Aroma’s of vanilla, tobacco, and musk

China teapots with chintzy bouquets

A knitted shawl that has seen better days

A lonely cup missing its friend

Brasses and tapestries gone out of trend

An oversized vase with a hairline crack

A  redundant, unwanted  letter rack

A military coat with cobwebs adorned

Medals in boxes, ununiformed

A delicate teaset,  a jug with a chip

In clumsy hands, there’s often a slip

An old violin praying to be played

Scarves with holes, handkerchiefs frayed

Plates with monarchy now in the past

Portraits of ladies looking downcast

A load of old junk? No! not to me

A sample of our countries great history

We must display the medals and cherish the pots

Owned by families of  loved ones lost

Don’t hide the heirlooms in a dusty drawer

Tell us the stories of battle and war

Don’t hide your memories in an old suitcase

Display them grandly with pride of place

So polish the silver and let the dust fly

Applaud the endurance of people gone by.

Kate Hanford

 

The Antique Shop - old teapot

 

 

Do you like visiting Antique Shops? and what kind of objects do you look out for?

For more poems by Kate Hanford

Just Smile

Simple Pleasure

Hope

 

6 thoughts on “The Antique Shop – A Poem by Kate Hanford

Add yours

  1. Such an emotional post! Very much like old toys, how do they feel when being forgotten, outgrown or cast away?
    I think old photographs speak to me. So many lost dreams in those forgotten smiles. Was it worth it?
    Beautiful, thank you! xx

    1. I agree toys and photographs, so sad. Thank you so much for your lovely comment (and RT on Twitter) it is most appreciated, hope you are well,take care xx

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