Lead Animals
Lead Animals
Since before I was born
there’s been a set of
tiny wooden shelves
on the wall in our house
full of tiny creatures made of lead
Belonging to my dad,
I don’t know
exactly how long
he’s had them
I do know though,
they’re very fragile
and that I wasn’t allowed
to play with them when I was young
which I felt was a loss for me,
and a loneliness for them
They fascinated me and still do
Their color, size, and stories
Where had they come from?
What other houses had they lived in?
How had the animals shrunk?
Had they always been on an adult’s shelf?
Or had they been someone’s toys?
Did they used to be alive?
Could they talk?
What would they say?
If I take one down,
will my dad notice?
In that jungle on the wall
a crane, a kangaroo, a horse,
a raccoon, a sheep, a giraffe,
and maybe 50 other creatures
lived together like some sort of
B team Noah’s ark
Only after looking at them as an adult,
did I suddenly realize, that of all the questions
I wondered about the animals when I was little,
I never asked my dad,
Was he ever a child like me?
Do you have any interesting nature related collection? Share your in the comment section below or send me an email with photos and a story about it! wes@livethecuriouslife.com
