Dear Shed
you were erected in just one hour
between the heavy seasonal showers
of March. That memory will never fade,
perhaps because of how we made a special day
for you and me. (It was my birthday too, you see!)
But that was only half the fun
because you were the first and only one
to have that day decreed to be a
National Day for Sheds.
I remember well the day you came
although it was a crying shame
I had to work. But it ended well
and I’ll tell you why. My niece was free
to let the builders in, showing them, instead of me,
where to put you on the concrete square.
(It was a rectangle, to be fair!)
No matter, Shed…
You made me happy every single day
with your wooden tongue and groovy ways.
Outside you stood there felted and strong
caring for rakes, forks, and Billabong
bodyboards (no longer used). The spider webs
gathered like dust. But garden tools
no longer rusted like they did
before you came.
From March to March I cared for you,
you must agree, you know it’s true. I swept your
floors, and scrubbed your walls. And even though
I am really small, I got a ladder to tend your roof.
Surely there is no greater proof of love?
Your mission now is to serve another
when they move in with their hover mowers,
spades and bikes. Maybe even baby trikes
and scooters will reside inside
your walls of treated pine.
Not knowing when you will be opened again
I oil your lock, twist the key on its chain.
I latch the gate, lock the door, turn my back
but find there’s more to say. I can’t walk away
without a last good-bye. I wipe the tear
from my cheek and think about the years
our love has seen. Four years, not long
enough and yet, I get the feeling that
our love was never meant for ever.
Alone, alas, I offer this my last endeavour,
a record of an enduring love for you,
Dear Shed.
© Jacqui Thatcher 2014
Ok, so this is a bit of a cheat, really because I posted this sometime last year and yet….well, the shed, my hero! my love! It was the single most important thing I bought when I moved into my house and the one thing that I regretted leaving behind!
Until the shed arrived, all my garden furniture and tools and other bits and pieces that go into a garden shed were left outside to the elements, through a very wet and miserable winter! I am surprised the mower still functioned after that!
But, the shed became the hero of the moment! Somewhere dry and clean to store all my things, not having a garage or even a conservatory in my small house! I was so, so happy! And all my work colleagues shared in my delight, declaring the day to be, not only my birthday, but forever after, a National Shed Day.
Please enjoy!
I actually feel almost heartbroken for you and your shed.
Good work!
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Ah! Yes, it’s unbelievable how emotional I felt leaving the shed! I mean, a SHED? Best wishes, Jacqui 🙂
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Trust me, I have a silly attachment to my new fence panels. They are godly because the squirrels now run across freely! Ahh I shouldn’t get so much joy out of a few wooden planks!
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The simplest things bring the most pleasure! 🙂
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