Wading through cluttered aisles,
the fragrance of antiquated books
wafting with each step
towers of things piled upon things
memories upon memories

A rusted bike, missing its wheels
A fraying rag doll with a stitched smile
and one blue button eye
A small, faded pink dress
with a red stain on the sleeve

A tattered canvas coat, patches at the elbow
A hand-crafted oak chest
with squeaky hinges that don’t quite fit
A worn marine’s cap
tucked away in a cupboard

A chipping vanity without its stool,
Ornate jewelry, glittering
from a soggy cardboard box
A lacy white wedding gown,
yellowed with age

Amongst the clinking collections
of glass bottles, bygone coins,
Beneath heaps of old magazines
and well-loved books,
Lie fragments of lives once lived