The Drawer

From time to time I picture myself having to pack up and move 

every single item in this house to somewhere smaller.

Still fresh in my memory is the last move

(sixteen years ago)

when the admirably thorough removal men 

wrapped, packed and shipped everything for us,

 including a large twig, just because it was in the shed 

and I hadn't thrown it away.

Tackling this kitchen drawer was like being on Time Team.

A trench was opened and then layer by layer

I exposed our culinary history.

Gentle scraping revealed a rice paddle from the sushi period,

an aerolatte from the hot chocolate period,

 patisserie tools including madeleine tins and myriad shaped cutters from the

trying too hard period, 

not forgetting a rare lattice maker 

for a coulibiac of salmon,

from the short lived dinner party era.

Funnels for jams and elderflower cordial appeared 
from the self-sufficiency age -

the mushroom hunter's knife and brush (ditto).

Next came a tumbled collection of graters, zesters,

basters, skewers, chopsticks,

poached egg shapers, sweetcorn spearers,

scoops, shovels, measurers, beaters,

ice cream maker appurtenances,

and herbal tea infusers,

probably disturbed by ploughing.

 In a fine sediment at the bottom of the trench,

there were fridge magnets -

Homer Simpson and accessories,

poetry kits,

geometric pattern makers

and evidence of obscure rituals 

where pocket money was exchanged for

 novelty items at the end of school trips.

Many of these artefacts were washed and bagged 

and put to one side for conservation.

Many were not.

Maybe I should have been an archaeologist.