Keys

But first, let's start out with a short bit of humor. A while back, I was looking for a key for a door. There was of course an entire drawer full of keys to sort through. I got to thinking about how you could never bring yourself to throw out a key once you forgot what it fit. What if the lock turned up again? It seemed such a poignant vigil that it deserved a few words.

-Chuck

There is a drawer, every house has one,

where the old keys gather.

They huddle in their camps,

telling of the lost door, valise, or drawer

that they can open, if only they can find it again.

Some are seconds, or thirds, copies of copies,

but still they remember in their teeth

that there is a lock for them out there.

Somewhere.

Some lucky few have tags,

but even then no one remembers

the provenance of "Back Door."

Was it this house, or one or two ago,

or perhaps the summer cabin?

They whisper ghost stories

of the lock that was changed,

and the keys left to linger in a half-life

in the shadows of the drawer.

At intervals some are taken away

to be introduced to all the locks in the house

in the hopes of remembering their purpose.

Most are returned.

The few that don't are spoken of in hushed tones.

Maybe, they say, the lucky key has found its lock

and together they have returned to the Locksmith.