Sanding years of varnish
off the old surface there
discarding days of firsts
1920s wedded bliss
sifted through the baseboard moulding
their time now done,
ashes to ashes
the shining vintage light
still hangs
hung all through those
bare,pained meals of the 1930s.
Sanding off years accumulating
the dust of ages
the 1950s Silvertone guitar
that mimicked Elvis
silenced now
in that debris gathered at my feet.
The once new
1960s station wagon
the almost Cleaver family
their story now scattered
dust particles in the house.
In that neatly sanded corner
sat a TV
where Nixon denied his accusers
where hostages were kept
gas crisis lines, oil embargo oasis.
Time in tango
but inside
the 1930s hutch cabinets
became hip to harvest gold
giving way to 1990s coolness
foreclosures in the 2000s
business Trump style.
Finally sanding off
my own history
a time’s layer cake
hoping to find
it all lighter now
sweeping the sand away
seeing the original hardwood
as it once was
the smell of pine
dissolved now
in the grains of years
the soul of time.
broussardlana.wordpress.com 
A lot of the varnish and layers have some good memories, Lana. ❤
The 1920's brought my Mom and Dad into the world. They married in the 50's, that guitar sounds cool and collectable. 🙂
I lived through some of these events and love the station wagon memories the best. Our family was never like the Cleavers. Mom worked and only twice a year put on an apron and probably baked five times. She never made bread but there were cakes and cookies. Once a year, New York style cheesecake. Yummy! This was lovely.
Good memories, I agree…older houses see many lives passing through. The idea for this came after we spent some time this spring sanding and refinishing the floors in our 1930s house 🙂 Thanks, Robin.
peeling of varnishes, sanding layers of memories – well captured.
There is a great deal of history in these old houses 🙂
Yes.
Brings me right back to the time I sanded down a nightstand of my grandmother’s. Yes, very well captured.
Thank you…these old houses, antique pieces of furniture too, if only they could talk…
I know exactly what you mean. I think that all the time as well. I love antiques.
Funny how a piece of furnishing can say so much.
It really can, how interesting it would be if these old pieces could talk…
Well done and creative! I have refinished a few pieces in my time so I appreciate the vision of scraping away varnish and perhaps paint. Someone may have to find the layers of today on the floor in the future. “The soul of time” and bare wood – I like that!
Thank you! I got this idea when we refinished our floors (which ended up taking forever) so now I think I am perpetually lost in that time vortex…lol. Yes indeed, lots of layers there. Glad you liked it 🙂
Trip down memory lane… that picture of sawdust… hummm, looks more like shavings to me, unless it was taken at very high magnification 🙂
It probably is, ha ha. I use Pixabay almost exclusively (because it is free), so I always have limited options. I have found other image sites, but somehow I never manage to look anywhere else. I should’ve used my own photos, lol.
Beautifully done. Here’s to more sanding
Thanks. …sanding away 🙂
🙂 Happy Tuesday. For some reason I am missing your posts. They aren’t coming up in the news feeds. I think I’m all caught up now.
Happy Tuesday to you also. ..WordPress does that alternating post thing to me also…not sure why that is. ..thanks for reading!
It’s annoying! 🙂 Lots of love. xo
A marvellously driven vehicle
Thanks so much!
Oh, this is beautiful. I love the layers of meaning – the physical sanding, the sanding off of the years and memories, the sanding away of the layers that cloak the self. I love it 🙂
Thanks so much. ..I thought about this as we were refinishing these floors in our 1930s house. ..
Reblogged this on By the Mighty Mumford and commented:
THIS ONE SHINES LIKE A NEW COAT OF SHELLAC ! EXCELLENT WRITING!
Thank you so much!
😀
Reblogged this on WOTAN'S SPEAR and commented:
I’m A Fan (Full Disclosure)
L. T. Garvin is the pen name of Lana Broussard. She writes fiction, poetry, essays, and publishes a blog. L.T. resides in Wichita, Falls, Texas where the weather is hot and sports competition is tough. She has previously published poetry and a short story, A Night at Bailey’s Groceryin the Texas Writers Journal. (Texas Writers Journal asks that it have the notation of being previously published in TWJ if it is reprinted elsewhere.)
Confessions of a 4th Grade Athlete is an amusing story of a young boy’s experience with sports. Publication, forthcoming from Crystal Publishing.
She has also penned a novel, Dancing with the Sandman, and a series of amusing Seuss-like poems. Publication, forthcoming from Crystal Publishing.
Check out her blog on FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/LT-Garvin-791835704234435/
Thank you so much!
No Thank you necessary. The pleasure and gratitude emanates from reading you 🙂