Stuffed Toys and Boardgames

Stuffed Toys And Boardgames A tinker mending clockwork trains And other broken things, Peered over his wiry spectacles Scrutinising unwound springs. Between the jars of shiny screws, Bits of wire and naked flames Were tiny nuts and fiddly bolts Stuffed toys and boardgames. He wryly smiled with a friendly wink At a little boy who stood by his side Full of amazing questions With ears and eyes opened wide, He watched the tinker tinkering, Opening and closing drawers, Crooked fingers that busily twirled Oily wheels and carriage doors. It reminded him of a being a child Watching his father sew and trim, And asked the boy the question His father asked of him, "When I have gone and you grow up, what would you like to be?" The little boy thought a while In awe of all he could see, "I want to be an engineer to fix trains and make things go" Then, with his mother, left the shop With a teddy bear and ludo.