My Ancestor’s Furniture (a dream)

GiaB writing prompt #21 furniture

In a recurring dream I find a forgotten room stacked to the ceiling with old furniture, stuffed to the gills with treasured mementos.

I explore: the first thing I see is a rocking chair. Ornately carved and painted, it is from generations before me. In that chair, my Great Grandmother comforted my crying Grandmother. In that chair, my Grandmother rocked my Mother: I cradled my child.

I search more: dig through countless boxes, drawers, stacks; until I find a wardrobe that belonged to my Great Grandparents. As kids, my cousins and I hid in it while playing hide and seek. It is just a simple piece with no special adornments. But inside! Wow! Old coats, black and white pictures, ancient papers… lace up boots that were always worn by my Great Grandmother, the kind that fine ladies wore at the turn of the century you know — the 20th century — Victorian Boots. AND: my Great Grandfather’s World War I Uniform! Attached are medals I don’t recognize, his Purple Heart!

Still searching, searching: I spy my Grandmother’s jewelry armoire. Bracelets, earrings, pins sparkle up at me from every drawer. The jewels may be cosmetic but they are still precious to me. I try on brooches, rings, necklace after necklace; feeling like a child. I can smell her face powder and sweet rose perfume.

On and on I search, into exhaustion, but I cannot stop. I am searching for something: I don’t know what. I open drawer after drawer, door after door, finding treasure after treasure: books with broken binders, letters, cards. Dreams of ancestors’ furniture visited night after night. Maybe next time I sleep I’ll find what it is I search for.

~~ Rhonda Marrone 6/2021

Thanks to Victor Sarkin for this prompt:

Tagging a few other poets: Douglas John Imbrogno Jupiter Grant Dennett John O'Nolan