One step up from a jumble sale
two steps down from
an auction. More than a symbol
less than a solution.
Inside, are people trying
to survive second-hand lives.
Outside, the door opens
into the 19th Century
Racks of yesteryear recycle lives.
Cast offs are handed down
in random patterns,
holding hope together at the seams.
Hand-me-downs are an act of homage
to politicians. For they have opened up
a new market. For some there is a high turnover
in tough times. The last dregs of consumerism
drip into place.
Forever flawed, anxiety and shame
are on sale here. Shelves of
bric-a-brac and old warped
albums hit the eye. While old movies
flicker down the years.
Yet some things are not for sale.
Dignity and self-respect
are in short supply.
You cannot buy poverty.
Donations carry their past
with them. Clothes loved
by someone else once
held other people’s dreams.
