This is the homemade tambourine
of jingles from abandoned doors,
an instrument of jangled clicks
that time has tumbled houses through,
and cars - a '59 Ford, '61 Bonneville,
the minty green Buick with gills -
and keys to pink diaries with poodles and locks
to the pimply yearning of miles and miles
of girls, a generation of women known for
lost fumbling at doors to find kisses
or later, much later, the key to lock up
while the boy of "back then" grows bald
and a little paunch (with love handles) honks
the horn of a car where children, some boys,
girls, side by side by side - all waiting
for you, impatiently whining,
blessedly whining, for you to turn
and join them in a two-tone wagon
that is only a jangle now, a jingle inside
a tin lifted to rattle out old songs.
[after Ted Kooser's "A Jar of Buttons", Delights & Shadows]


Comments: 19
makes me
Sing along
in the key
of Gee
Whiz
Great
Poetry!
I collect keys and keep all keys I find or have ever had. Probably couldn't tell you what each key is for...but I like holding on to them.
a beautifully presented mosaic of shards of time locked in our memories
Lovely, and worth reading over and over.
May I print this out, with your name as author, frame 3 copies, and share your words with my children? They are so busily collecting their own keys now, and I would like them to know the value of doing so...
Blessings,
Wilka
Wow! I just looked up and down the comments, looking for the last time I popped in and said Thank You to those who've left me notes ,,, and ,,, guess what? I haven't said thanks even once time so far. My bad. I am grateful for every word shared. Thank you, each and all. Thank you very much.