Buried in Tin

Treasure was buried

as deep as tin.

Small fingers searched

through wood, plastic, and metal,

separating fantasies by color.

Christmas smiled in yellow

three hundred sixty five days a year

upon mama’s sewing machine

from a fruit cake tin turned button home.

Mixed among brand new

were fasteners that

once graced a dress or shirt,

their history winking

at exploring blue eyes.

They were just buttons,

but they were three sister’s gold.

Imagination found diamonds in glass

and adornments for Cinderella’s dress.

Sibling spats were silenced

by the spell cast with yellow.

There was no time for harsh words, only joy.

That Christmas button box

was our once upon a time,

and the fairytales still speak

each time we hold yesterday in our hands.

  

©Susie Clevenger 2012

I am really fortunate that my youngest sister, Debby, has our mother's button box. It truly is magic for me. Some of my best childhood memories are those buttons held in Christmas yellow.

I wrote this from the inspiration of Brain Miller's Poetics ~ Button, Button

 at dVerse ~ Poets Pub