Thursday 23 September 2010

The haberdasher's chair



Cosmos and Buddleia
on


the haberdasher's chair.
A taller than average chair,
placed at the counter for customers to sit upon
while they chose their wares.
We use it for haircuts but
I can never see it without being reminded of


Milly-Molly-Mandy
who was left in charge of Miss Muggins's shop.

I was once left in charge of a village shop.
It was called Pound Lane Stores.
I can still remember the thrill.


I rang up a million pounds on the cash register
and was in a good deal of trouble.

Milly-Molly-Mandy would never have been so silly.
As she said to little-friend Susan,
who called in for some safety-pins,

'No, this isn't play; it's business. I've got to be very, very careful.'

3 comments:

  1. Those flowers are such a beautiful colour.

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  2. Another beautiful post, loved the inclusion of Milly Molly Mandy. The only time I was left in charge of a shop was years ago in England and the shop was a farm one in the wilds of Kent (if there are wilds in Kent), I had one customer who wanted cooked beetroot but there weren't any cooked ones left, I told her to cook some at home and she was horrified! Funny memory.
    My grandmother owned a haberdashery shop, oh how I wish I had her chair.

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  3. You've made me nostalgic for a time when customers could sit on chairs and just point . . . and also for the days when I read Milly-Molly-Mandy stories for my daughter.

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