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This is, as indicated, the 2nd HALF of this fairly lengthy poem. Due to Poetry Soup's file-size limitations, this piece had to be posted in 2 parts. The 1st HALF can be accessed, of course, by going to - "Poems by Mark Stellinga" - on the Soup. Sorry for the inconvenience...but there's always the audio version - if you'd rather listen than read - “Suggested that we place a sign on either side of town to help improve our business…so we did. But that’s not why. We knew the signs would help to tell the travelers we were here, but we were not at all concerned about how much they’d buy. “What we actually wanted was…to see a friendly face. My husband had the gift of gab…and I’m about as bad. We really didn’t care about the money that they spent…our only hope was adding to the visitors we had.” Well…the “Nothing is for sale” disgust would quickly disappear, and we grabbed a couple rocking chairs then slid in fairly near. Smiling, she asked sweetly, “Do you folks have far to go?” And I replied, “We live about a hundred miles from here.” We spent the next few hours talking all about antiques. The way the costs have risen…and how scarce they have become. That little conversation was the highlight of our trip. But with the many things we’d yet to do, the time had come To hit the road, and so, at last, we stood and stretched our legs. We thanked her for the visit, and we told her we’d be back Any time we got the chance, to simply - sit an’ talk. And as we walked away from where that friendly little shack Stood there…so deceptively…I told my wife, “Hey, Con…how about we grab ourselves a couple cans of pop.” As I did I told the clerk, “We’re really glad we stopped, and glad we got a chance to see your so-called - “Antiques Shop”. He looked at us and smiled, then said, “This happens all the time. Every day at 9 a.m. the door will open wide… Then, right at five, it closes! And it’s been that way for years…despite the fact the owners of the shop have long-since died! “Dale - her husband - had a stroke and died in ‘65, but Clara said she’d promised him the shop would never close. She kept it open three more years, until she passed away. So…who it is that runs it now is something no one knows! “Apparently ‘antiquers’ are a very special breed, and only they can see her when they step inside the shop. We almost took the signs down, but we think it’s kinda cool, and - just like you - now and then…they make somebody stop!” We paid him for the soda pops and headed out the door. I glanced across the street and saw the door was now ajar. I knew that I had closed it when we left a while ago, and I would say to Connie, as we climbed into the car, “Look…the door’s back open! Do you think it’s really true? It’s probably just a story they made up to have some fun. But yet today…despite the fact that nothing was for sale…of all the shops we’ve ever found…it’s still our favorite one. PS: I've now got 4 new Audio-CDs - @ 4 1/2 hours each = (62 diversely varied pieces). They’re listed on EBAY - under - “Mark Stellinga Poetry” - or available by simply contacting me at -- mark@writerofbooks.com -- should those of you who enjoy listening to poems as well as reading them - and particularly those of you that travel - care to be so entertained. (We use safe and simple - PayPal) Cheers, Mark
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