At the Museum

 

". . .  our artifacts tell more about ourselves than our confessions."—Joseph Brodsky

By Steven Wade Veatch

 

Time stops here: A hallowed place to sense
past struggles, hardships, and joys. Objects—
removed from the flow of time, life’s moments
pinned on a wall, artifacts put in a mahogany case,
and exhibits built under spotlights for inspection—
now belong only to themselves, preserved.
In their presence, I hear them speak, as I step into history.
 
While I look at the yellow kitchen on display,
and the cabinet where your crystal glass
sparkles with its warm nostalgic spell,
I think about your life, loves, and sorrows.
Did someone bring you red roses?
 
I will never see the sky like you did, but I feel your world.
As I consider your generation, I remember my time,
and find truth about myself—that as I spend my days,
I must consider what I leave behind.
 

Published first in the Betsie Current November 3, 2022

 

The Benzie Area Historical Museum
in Benzonia, MI. Photo by Andy Bolander.