Daily Poem Entries

The Collector

The Collector

Alabaster,
near translucent white as though absorbent,
soft yet hard
and smooth the surface,
carved with care by delicate hand
practised with precision,
the statuette,
lone in limelit windowed showcase,
draws his sure acquisitive eye.

Pauses the ever wary hoarder,
wooed and hooked by “interesting piece,”
feigns no more than passing fancy,
points a vague and trembling finger,
“Alabaster?” he enquires.

Knows he well from long acquaintance
sculptures in this palest stone,
understands the value understated
inherent in the figure posed,
yet his mind, in thrift directed,
aims for bargain basement price.

Proprietor of antiquities outlet,
disguised by coarseness of its name,
“Bizarre Bazaar” in golden letters
emblazoned bright above the door,
knows full well the precious relic,
chose its present place of honour,
displaying it to best effect,
estimating quite precisely,
its market worth down to the cent,
steels himself for cunning barter,
girds his loins, draws up his wit,
answers with a twitch of ‘tache,
“Yes indeed, sir, highest grade,
your eye discerns the best, I see,
the piece is pure unblemished,
Arabian alabaster.”

So the battlefield is chosen,
lines drawn up and hunkered down,
long the struggle (and enjoyment)
as two combatants join the fray,
strategy and artifice,
feint, riposte and brutal onset,
all employed in finest measure,
till they stand, exhausted, spent,
the goal so close,
both adamant
no more retreat will be supported.

“Five more dollars and it’s yours,”
proprietor entreats.
“No penny more, you think me mad,”
collector proudly states,
“The thing’s not worth it, I don’t care,
that price you’ll never get.”

A moment then, they stand and stare,
eye to eye and glaring full,
then turn away, ignoring each,
without further word, they part.
The hoarder’s hand on exit handle,
opens, and rings the service bell,
the merry tones in peal ring out,
and both contenders turn again,
“On second thoughts…” they shout.


Line count: 62
Free verse with a touch of trochaic tetrameter
For The Daily Poem, Sept 07 2022
Prompt: L R A E H D E O R Without using technological assistance, put together the longest word you can from the given string of letters and use it in your poem. Please bold the word you find and use.