A Philatelic Pandect

A is for an album to hold my stamp hoard, B is for back of book where my “specials” are stored. C is for the cancellation that causes such strife, D is for definitives with their unlimited life. E is for excitement, the thrill of the find, F is for fiscal and its financial bind. G is for the gum that sticks them in the post, H is for the hinges displaying those I love most. I is for imperforates, those joined with no holes, J is for a Johfra box to soak off without bowls. K is for a killer mark that destroys a stamp’s worth L is for local stamps with a limited dearth. M is for the magnifying glass used for searching out flaws N is for the newspaper stamps that brought headlines to our doors. O is for “officials” with a government cachet P is for postage due when the sender fails to pay. Q is for the Queen’s head on all British stamps R is for retouches and forgers re vamps. S is for a stockbook for stamps that are spare T is for tweezers to handle them with care. U is for unused, a stamp postally mint, V is for variety, it has a fault in its print. W is for watermark to prove authenticity X is for xanthic spots, rust, that strikes without pity. Y is for youngsters and encouraging their dream Z is for Zemstvo a rare Russian theme. To see a stamp thrown in the bin, now that is such a crime, I’ll revere it in my collection making it sublime. Written 1st March 2013 by Rachel Fawcett. I am a Trained Nurse by day and spend my time off collecting stamps and trying to write poetry. I haven’t been publicly writing very long and this is only the second poetry competition I've ever entered. I love writing as it stretches my imagination and I enjoy the challenge it brings. I love collecting stamps as they bring order to my mind.