Looked at for years
Yet somehow, never seen;
The silent witness to daily life.
Its cupboards, shelves and drawers,
Unlikely meeting places for
Family, friends and government.
At once eclectic and global,
Yet uniquely personal.
Old and new are neighbours
Where postcards and letters,
Knick-knacks and gifts from abroad,
Glass, brass and china,
Elastic bands,
Bills, string and pens,
Mingle with the glazed and frame-frozen smiles.
Minutiae and memories;
The common things of life alongside the treasured
Each kept safe;
Each with its place.

But in the now stilled house,
Slow in echo and air-hung hollow,
The solitary sounds of the clock
Settle with the sun-beamed dust,
To lie undisturbed upon the dresser.