HOARDERS AND COLLECTORS (B.120)

 

 

Hoarders and collectors

Come in many guises

And the items they collect

Are in varied shapes and sizes…

 

From gems, jewellery and miniatures

Through vases and objet d’art

To space demanding transports

Cycle – tractor – cart.

 

All the things I hoard

Are completely value free

Though they might come in useful

In an emergency.

 

Fabrics and plant pots

Elastic – hangers – string

Buttons – zips and safety pins

That sort of useful thing.

 

Worst of all are plastic bags

In every size and shape

Large bags full of smaller ones

Transparent and opaque.

 

But if I threw something away

I know for sure, for sure

I would need it urgently

And have to buy some more.

 

Every serious hoarder

Is convinced they’ll find a use

For all the stuff they’ve saved

And they cling to that excuse.

 

THANK GOODNESS FOR THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION

 

Modern life is artificial and unnatural

So we’re told that we should

Reconnect with our ancient crafts

It will calm - and do us good.

 

Of all our ancestors’ skills

The best one seemed to be

Spinning wool and knitting a jumper

Designed by – and for – me.

 

I couldn’t wait to achieve inner calm

Where mind and body are at peace

So I dashed out to an alpaca farm

And bought myself a fleece!

 

Spinning equipment was needed too -

Getting back to basics is not cheap,

I expected it to be soothing and satisfying

And to help me to fall asleep

 

But carding,  spinning and plying

As explained in all the craft books

Was difficult - infuriating - stressful -

And not as easy as it looks.

 

I admire our ancestors who did this

For every garment that they wore –

Thank goodness for modern artificial life

And clothes that can be bought in a store.

 

 

January 2013