The Button Box

Originally a fancy cake or cookie tin,
our round button box sits serenely
on the sewing table when not on top
of the chiffonier. There's an endless,
fascinating array of colors inside it.
Every time our small hands pry it
open buttons spill north, east, south
and west. We don't mind collecting
them again and again for we want
to see and feel all those varied colors,
shapes, sizes and materials. We
are untiring as we laugh and comment
on the funny-looking ones. On the
outside, the box and lid are white
with thick, ornate gold trim. On the
inside it's bright gold only. The shine
simulates gilt and makes us think
of elegant furnishings and fixtures
in places like the Vatican whenever
it is shown on TV. We feel safe and
secure having all those buttons.
Each year we find more in the tin
so we know we'll never run out
nor have our buttons sewn on by
haphazard, unsafe hands that are
unfamiliar.