by

China Cabinet

IMG_0013

To celebrate National Poetry Writing Month, I attended a poetry workshop on Sunday. One exercise was to write a direct address poem to something on a shelf in my home.

China Cabinet

You passed hands through generations
the repository of aged and foreign gifts
a family’s prized dna preserved in amber
wood, curved, glued, etched and oiled
your beveled doors and skeleton key guarding
treasures from childhood’s inquisitive fingers.

I remember you, china cabinet children
those exquisite painted faces
skin cracking and seams parting.
I cradled your infant limbs
your flopping head, the ties binding you
lengthening and loose.

Your hair was shorn from a stranger
bound remnants of a life long dead
red silk fusty and ivory fading to rust
sewn forever around you.
But you are not forever as neither am I
nor the mothers who dusted these shelves
or polished this silver.

We will come to clay again, I before you
and you will collect my past in your vault
of family antiquities I no longer recall
for you are all that remembers the dead.
You are all that remains of the dead.

111 thoughts on “China Cabinet”

  1. jademwong says:
    May 5, 2016 at 9:17 am

    Spooky poem but enticing. I had to keep reading, even through the goosebumps. That photo btw only makes everything creepier x_x

    Liked by 1 person

    • D. Wallace Peach says:
      May 5, 2016 at 10:50 am

      I’m so tickled that some readers have found it creepy and spooky. You weren’t the only one, Jade. That wasn’t my intent, but I love it that everyone brings their own experience and interpretation. Thanks so much for reading and commenting. Have a great day!

      Liked by 1 person

  2. Writespiration #88 It’s a Dolls Life | Sacha Black says:
    May 4, 2016 at 12:01 am

    […] wrote this post, and popped an image in I found a little spooky. Then Allie, told me about Doll Island. The myth […]

    Liked by 1 person

  3. Ali Isaac says:
    April 22, 2016 at 11:22 pm

    Beautiful, Diana! You are a woman of many talents!

    Liked by 1 person

  4. inesephoto says:
    April 18, 2016 at 12:37 pm

    Beautiful poem! I think it is wonderful that things live longer than humans do. They connect generations, they pass the memory.

    Liked by 2 people

  5. joyindestructible says:
    April 18, 2016 at 11:39 am

    A wonderful poem that fits well with what my husband and children call my ‘family museum’ which is my home. Now, I’m hoping for some interest in those children to take my museum. Family heirlooms don’t seem to have much meaning to millennials.

    Liked by 2 people

  6. Sacha Black says:
    April 16, 2016 at 11:34 pm

    Beautiful poem, but I’ll be honest I’m a little afraid of China dolls! I had to avoid the photo!

    Liked by 3 people

  7. familyrulesbyplainjane says:
    April 16, 2016 at 9:36 pm

    I love the line about coming to clay. Really nice work!

    Liked by 2 people

  8. olganm says:
    April 16, 2016 at 7:49 am

    It makes you think, doesn’t it? I can’t write poetry and never had a proper china cabinet in the family but it’s a perfect image. Thanks, Debby.

    Liked by 2 people

    • D. Wallace Peach says:
      April 16, 2016 at 8:02 am

      Thanks so much for the visit, Olga. I’m not a poet either, not compared to some of the spectacular work that I read on WP. But being creative and trying new things is fun, regardless. I’m glad you enjoyed the poem. Have a lovely weekend. 🙂

      Like

  9. Marje @ Kyrosmagica says:
    April 16, 2016 at 6:28 am

    A wonderful poem. Sounds like the workshop did the trick. This was inspiring. Well done. 🙂

    Liked by 2 people

  10. Aquileana says:
    April 14, 2016 at 8:41 pm

    Beautiful poem… your words recalled me of a China Cabinet my grandma had when I was a kid… It had ornaments and crockery, but for me it was a magical cage…
    Thanks for sharing. . All the best to you, Aquileana 🙂

    Liked by 2 people

    • D. Wallace Peach says:
      April 15, 2016 at 6:31 am

      I’m so glad it brought up that magical memory, Aquileana. That’s exactly what I was trying to convey. I had that same sense of awe as a child 🙂 Have a wonderful weekend!

      Like

  11. stephie5741 says:
    April 14, 2016 at 2:09 pm

    Great poem. And I love your choice of items!

    Stephanie
    http://stephie5741.blogspot.com

    Liked by 2 people

    • D. Wallace Peach says:
      April 14, 2016 at 6:32 pm

      Thanks, Stephanie 🙂 It was a fun workshop even though I’m much more comfortable with prose. Hope you’re gearing up for a fun and relaxing weekend! Happy Writing.

      Like

  12. Khaya Ronkainen says:
    April 13, 2016 at 10:16 am

    Graceful and stylish! Love the personification, a beautiful relationship depicted here…”We will come to clay again, I before you and you will collect my past in your vault”. I enjoyed reading your poem:)

    Liked by 2 people

  13. roughwighting says:
    April 13, 2016 at 8:53 am

    ‘Family prized dna’ indeed!

    Liked by 2 people

  14. Annika Perry says:
    April 13, 2016 at 6:27 am

    In this modern age of minimalism so many of my family and friends have reduced their collections and decorations to the bare essentials, however I find my belongings, ornaments a comfort, each one carrying a story, a life within it. Your poem expresses this sentiment beautifully, hauntingly even – as I hold copper pots left from my grandparents, I recall their lives, imagine them as young; a tangible reminder of them.

    Liked by 2 people

    • D. Wallace Peach says:
      April 13, 2016 at 8:35 am

      Thanks for the lovely comment, Annika. These tangible things do connect us to the lives of our ancestors. I too like to imagine them in younger years, selecting the items, holding them and caring for them. Someday that cabinet will be my daughters and I hope it does the same for her. Thanks for reading my poem 🙂 Have a lovely day.

      Liked by 1 person

  15. Kev says:
    April 13, 2016 at 4:48 am

    Very nice… and I love those dolls in the cabinet! 😀 Btw… your review went live today. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

  16. Nicholas C. Rossis says:
    April 13, 2016 at 2:40 am

    I’ve now cleaned up a few relatives’ and friends’ places after their passing. The poem reminded me of that strange nostalgia I always feel in a situation like that.

    Liked by 2 people

  17. patriciaruthsusan says:
    April 12, 2016 at 10:21 pm

    Lovely piece, Diana. It’s nice to have a few pieces from the past to help you remember people in your family. Well done. 🙂 — Suzanne

    Liked by 2 people

  18. balroop2013 says:
    April 12, 2016 at 9:57 pm

    This is a lovely poem Diana…nostalgic as well as carrying a fragrance of bygone era, which we cherish. I have very clear memories of my mother’s china cabinet, into which we loved to peer, yearning to hold that precious china into our hands. As children we didn’t understand the value of those priceless tea cups…they still haunt me in my dreams.

    You are a brilliant poet Diana, please keep writing more poetry. 🙂

    Liked by 2 people

    • D. Wallace Peach says:
      April 13, 2016 at 6:05 am

      It seems a few of us have those childhood “don’t touch” memories of china cabinets and the fascination with the magical heirlooms they held. I’ll stick with prose, Balroop, but its fun to stretch a little now and then. Happy writing, my friend 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  19. L. T. Garvin, Author says:
    April 12, 2016 at 8:02 pm

    This is a great poem, and I really enjoyed it. Antique objects really do have their own stories and a passage through time. I actually just reflected on this very subject. I also don’t think of myself as a poet, but I push myself to write everyday and poetry is much shorter than a short story, lol. Thanks for sharing!

    Liked by 2 people

  20. joannesisco says:
    April 12, 2016 at 5:45 pm

    My sisters and I had the task of cleaning up my mother’s belongings after she passed away. There were so many objects that we remembered well from our childhood, but sadly we didn’t know the story behind them, or why they had been treasured. It had never occurred to us to ask and now it was too late.

    That’s what your poem made me think of.

    Liked by 2 people

  21. anotherfoodieblogger says:
    April 12, 2016 at 5:12 pm

    I really do like this Diana! It does make you think about what would eventually happen to the contents of people’s china cabinets over time.

    Liked by 2 people

  22. Bette A. Stevens says:
    April 12, 2016 at 5:00 pm

    Wonderful, Diana!

    Liked by 2 people

  23. Sean P Carlin says:
    April 12, 2016 at 2:37 pm

    That’s quite lovely, Diana. I think more writers of fiction ought to branch into other sub-disciplines — particularly poetry — if for no other reason than to broaden their palette and flex different muscles. I used to write poetry quite a bit in high school (and later in college) and have been considering attending a good workshop on the form myself.

    Liked by 2 people

    • D. Wallace Peach says:
      April 12, 2016 at 6:41 pm

      Thank you 🙂 This was at our little town library, Sean, but I still found it challenging. I agree that writing is a craft where there is always more to learn! Thanks for the visit. Happy Spring.

      Liked by 1 person

  24. C.E.Robinson says:
    April 12, 2016 at 12:01 pm

    Nicely done, Diana! Your poems tells a unique story of lost history. It’s a wonder why those stories were not passed down through the generations. I like the idea to put your poem in with the China dolls. That tells something! Their sweet faces hold a lot of mystery. 💛 Elizabeth

    Liked by 2 people

  25. sandywilson1950 says:
    April 12, 2016 at 11:39 am

    I have been challenged to write poetry by our writing group mentor, James Nash (a published poet) and produced some reasonable pieces. But, I’ve no idea why a poem is good or not. I just thought this poem is terrific. The last verse is very profound without being pretentious.

    Liked by 2 people

    • D. Wallace Peach says:
      April 12, 2016 at 1:15 pm

      Thanks, Sandy. I really don’t know whether this is good or not either. It was the best one from the workshop so I just figured I’d throw it up here. It’s always fun to try new things. Thanks for the lovely comment 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  26. Carrie Rubin says:
    April 12, 2016 at 10:25 am

    This is a lovely poem, and I enjoyed reading it. But I have to admit, those dolls creep me out a bit. 😉

    Liked by 2 people

  27. thelonelyauthorblog says:
    April 12, 2016 at 10:16 am

    Awesome write. Love your description of the dolls.

    Liked by 1 person

  28. Julie Holmes, author says:
    April 12, 2016 at 10:02 am

    Well done, Diana! I agree, you should write more poetry. It’s amazing the things we keep and pass down, especially when we consider the history of those things. There’s always a story behind them, and if we can remember the story, it just makes those heirlooms more treasured.

    Liked by 2 people

  29. ~Michelle Cook says:
    April 12, 2016 at 9:58 am

    I think you need to write more poetry… wonderful!

    Liked by 2 people

  30. sonshinegreene says:
    April 12, 2016 at 9:35 am

    I love the poem, but I am really getting creeped out by those dolls. Normally they don’t bother me, but those dolls, I think I’d go insane with them in my home. It’s like they’re watching me!

    Liked by 2 people

    • D. Wallace Peach says:
      April 12, 2016 at 9:48 am

      Ha ha ha. I love their serene, gentle little faces. I positioned them for the camera. Usually they aren’t looking right at me! Thanks for making me laugh, Riley 🙂

      Like

  31. Lynz Real Cooking says:
    April 12, 2016 at 8:58 am

    This is so special, what a wonderful memory! I too have these special things that have seen great grandparents, grandparents, mom and dad! love this

    Liked by 2 people

    • D. Wallace Peach says:
      April 12, 2016 at 9:44 am

      Oh, I’m so glad you have those family treasures, Lynn, especially knowing a bit of your story and how dear your parents are to you. Do you know the stories about your heirlooms? The next time I see my parents I’m going to squeeze them for all they remember 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  32. Nitin says:
    April 12, 2016 at 8:51 am

    This is beautifully composed. And had layers of meaning inbetween. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

  33. Judy Martin says:
    April 12, 2016 at 8:41 am

    That was a lovely poem Diana, and I love the story it told as well. Nothing lasts forever. 🙂

    Liked by 2 people

  34. tamaraprokopchuk says:
    April 12, 2016 at 8:32 am

    Beautiful poem ❤ I especially love how you ended it.

    Liked by 2 people

  35. vanbytheriver says:
    April 12, 2016 at 7:41 am

    I have so little of those remnants from my family’s past. Many were discarded after my mother died. Sad. Your poem is perfect and captures the essence. Wonderful. 💘

    Liked by 2 people

    • D. Wallace Peach says:
      April 12, 2016 at 7:56 am

      Thanks, Van. That’s so sad that your family heirlooms were discarded. My brother is less sentimental about old things, and to me it isn’t really about the things but the connections to the past. Thanks so much for visiting and sharing your thoughts. 🙂 ❤

      Liked by 1 person

  36. babbitman says:
    April 12, 2016 at 7:01 am

    Lovely & thought provoking!
    It’s interesting how objects have been passed down, particularly from 19th to 20th centuries. I wonder how many of our own possessions-in-cabinets will end up as treasures of our grandchildren and beyond. Like my model Star Wars TIE Fighter? 😉

    Liked by 2 people

    • D. Wallace Peach says:
      April 12, 2016 at 7:14 am

      Your model Star Wars TIE Fighter will definitely be an heirloom as long as no one is allowed to play with it! As kids, we were rarely allowed to open the china cabinet doors, which added to the mystique I still feel today. 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  37. Al Lane says:
    April 12, 2016 at 6:30 am

    There’s a wonderful, wistful tone to this. Pushing yourself out of your comfort zone obviously agrees with you 🙂

    Liked by 2 people

  38. joanneeddy says:
    April 12, 2016 at 6:26 am

    Lovely, as always, Diana. I love the permanency of the china cabinet contrasted with the greater longevity of the dolls, and poignantly shorter lives of the human caretakers of the cabinet. It brings memories of my grandmother’s cabinet, which though it only held china and glassware, had a pheasant on the top. I would stare at it, fascinated by the colors and the bird’s amber eyes. Every now and then my uncle would lift me up high to stoke the pheasant’s silky iridescent breast feathers ignoring the atmosphere in the whole of her house that said,”don’t touch, nothing here can be touched.” Thank you for the lovely poem! Jo

    Liked by 2 people

    • D. Wallace Peach says:
      April 12, 2016 at 6:32 am

      Yes! That was my experience too, Joanne. We were only allowed to touch under supervision and it was always with a sense of awe and wonder. I still feel that way on those rare occasions when I open the doors. Thanks so much for reading and the wonderful comment 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  39. Mary J. McCoy-Dressel says:
    April 12, 2016 at 6:22 am

    I think you should tuck this poem in there. Let future generations read it, too. This is a heartfelt and beautiful poem, Diana.

    Liked by 3 people

  40. Frank says:
    April 12, 2016 at 6:07 am

    This is beautiful – intimately personal yet timeless.

    Liked by 2 people

  41. Richard Ankers says:
    April 12, 2016 at 5:55 am

    Love the repetition at the end. Love the repetition at the end. It really gets the message over.

    Liked by 2 people

  42. Russell J. Fellows says:
    April 12, 2016 at 5:49 am

    I love the line “for you are all that remembers the dead” – how often we look upon the histories of our families and more, and yet we don’t know them. Sometimes, I truly do wish the inanimate could speak and tell us the secrets they hold. 🙂

    Liked by 2 people

    • D. Wallace Peach says:
      April 12, 2016 at 6:05 am

      Thanks, Russell. My family has some interesting history in other parts of the world that I wish I knew more about. Yes, it would be cool if the relics of the past could tell their stories! Thanks for reading. Have a wonderful week. 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  43. The V Pub says:
    April 12, 2016 at 5:31 am

    Diana, I loved this piece, and especially the way the relationship turns at the end. The doll sits silently, from the past and watches as we age and eventually pass. It’s somber, yet lyrical at the same time.

    Liked by 2 people

    • D. Wallace Peach says:
      April 12, 2016 at 5:41 am

      Oh, thank you, Rob, for the lovely comment. So much history is lost as the generations turn, sometimes all we have are these mysterious relics. I wish I knew more about how they came to my family. Have a great week, my friend.

      Liked by 1 person

  44. Pleasant Street says:
    April 12, 2016 at 5:25 am

    I have my mother’s dolls. I love how you expressed this

    Liked by 2 people

  45. Bernadette says:
    April 12, 2016 at 5:23 am

    Your very well written poem certainly gives the reader the understanding of the doll’s antiquity and our short time of ownership.

    Liked by 2 people

Comments are closed.