Collector
I have had many collections
over the years.
It started with pigs…
when I was nine.
(Thank you, E.B. White)
ceramic pigs
plush pigs
pigs carved from wood
blown from glass
clay pigs
a pig gifted to me by a dear friend
a fellow 4th grade artist
(his medium: a gently chewed piece
of pink Double Bubble gum).
I’ve collected rocks,
hot glued to cardstock,
labeled neatly
with permanent marker,
filed upright in a narrow shoebox.
I’ve collected
seashells
pinecones
paper dolls
doll house furniture
fountain pens
hardback books
Santa Claus ornaments
and
lighthouse figurines.
My collections,
more chaotic than curated,
were passionately cherished
at the moment of
procurement;
but parted with
during the culling
with relative ease.
Once interest waned,
I relinquished
whole collections
at garage sales
or broke up a cache…
blessing others
who shared an interest.
The joy for me
was always in the finding,
keeping just long enough
to admire the treasure
before passing it along.