The Bottom Drawer

An eight-drawer dresser sits in an attic corner Under the east wall dormer It has a drawer that's quite a bother It's the bottom drawer, a pesky drawer That the family tries to ignore It won’t open, it sticks and is hard to reach It’s the drawer that’s nearest the floor The drawers are packed with odds and ends And from time to time and now and again Family members get an urge To climb the aging attic stairs that wobble and slightly bow To rifle through these odds and ends discarded long ago Underneath a faded hat they find a painting on a rock Here’s a broken knife, a run down watch and a key stuck in a lock A piece of chocolate that still looks fresh, old pennies and a sock A receipt for rent and a bent and rusted bell Hands are dirty, clothes are dusty and they hate that musty smell The desire to pry wanes, their interest is considerably cooled And the bottom drawer won’t open no matter how hard it’s pulled There are times I want to get away from my worries and my cares And from time to time and now and again I climb the attic stairs With my coffee cup, some toast on a plate I quietly retire To renew my center and the balance I require Sighing in pleasure for the time I’ll be here even if it’s just for an hour About that pesky bottom drawer that the family tries to ignore? It’s really not hard to open if you know it’s braced With sturdy pegs behind the dresser that keeps the drawer in place A simple solution to stop careless hands and prying eyes From disturbing cherished mementos I’ve saved and deeply prize I open the drawer and lovingly smooth my Mother’s rosary beads Here’s the last picture of my Mom and Dad taken at the table as they read Lying in the corner is a birthday card given to me by my husband That says I’m the best, most wonderful wife And the greatest love of his life A fragile, very old scarf wrapped carefully in tissue Handed down by my grandmother to my mother to me That traveled on a ship from Portugal at the turn of the century Here's a photo of my kids taken when they were grown Oh my, how fast the years have flown Coffee and toast long gone, I’m ready to set a new pace Feeling energized, I’m prepared to get back in the race I put my treasured mementos back in place Including the pegs that hold the secret brace On the bottom drawer, the pesky drawer That the family tries to ignore It won’t open, it sticks and is hard to reach It’s the drawer that’s nearest the floor