A fellow poet and blogger posted a poem the other day that mentioned a shiny new button, and while commenting on it, I thought about my grandma’s jar of buttons. Sherry still has her grandmother’s beautiful button box, so I included a picture that shows it, as well as Sherry’s button jar. Anyway, the memory inspired the following poem. Enjoy!
Grandma’s Button Box
The worst thing is losing a button
Grandma getting her button box down
Grumbling ‘bout your careless ways
As she began the hunt for one to match
The box full of every kind of button
A boy could possibly lose
Some of them shiny
Small ones and large
Every color of the rainbow in there
Chittering ‘cross the table
When she poured them out
Tired of stirring them ‘round with a finger
Hoping to get lucky
Knowing that wasn’t the way it would be
And when at last ‘twas found
That perfect shiny button
Or at least one so close no one would notice
Back into the box the rest would go
Until the next time
I’d watch the little box
Go back into its place
Marveling at the question
Handed down through all time
Wondering from where
Do the buttons come
That keep the button box full
Copyright © 2012 C. Mashburn

Buy "Be Still" from WestbowPress.com
Raivenne said
“Wondering from where
Do the buttons come
That keep the button box full”
* Giggles * As a mother who raised two sons and had her own button collection of sorts for many years — the answer? Little boys!!!
Such an adorable write bringing back lots of buttoned down memories.
charlesmashburn said
Thanks! I think I was reading your latest while you were reading this one. Yours is a little different than mine
Raivenne said
Just a smidgen different
Sherry Mashburn said
I spent many hours playing with my Grandma’s button box. Thanks for bringing back those memories!
charlesmashburn said
ah’ight den
ordinarylifelessordinary said
Everyone loves a button box… I keep mine in a tin with a picture of a tall ship on it. But enough about me
) lovely poem, thanks Charles.
charlesmashburn said
Oh, no; thank you, Vanessa!
I appreciate the lovely comment!!
pandamoniumcat said
Buttons I love em…have heaps of them and in those old op shops I can’t help buying the odd assortment jars… Terrific poem much enjoyed!
charlesmashburn said
Now that you mention it, button collecting would probably be fun. I bet you could find lots of buttons and button jars at antigue shops.
Thanks, Dianne!