Secrets... from an Old... Desk....

I watched a Documentary...

this Eve...

about Lincoln... and The Gettysburg Address...

It... was difficult...to watch... on many levels..

They read a letter... a woman had written... from the Battlefield... after the skirmish....

She said...Wounded Confederates... and Union Soldiers... as they were piled in.. to the make shift... areas...to be treated... laying... side by side...

talked to each other... like they were Brothers...

She spoke... of seeing human limbs...that were amputated...

piled... by trees...

The Earth...was Saturated... with Blood...

Sad...so...Very...Sad....

My Heart...was Heavy...as I climbed the stairs.... 

The House... was...dim... and quiet...

I stood... on the landing... peering into the dining room...

I...looked around... at the Civil War era... pieces...

that were all... looking back... at me...

From the Civil War Bit... I found recently... in a pail... that was filled with iron fragments... in a Barn...that was heading to the scrap...yard....

{I knew... there was something... in that pail... before I started... digging in it...I could...feel....it...}

to...the Staffordshire... and Soft Paste... Platters...

Books... and... Pottery...

Quilts... and Coverlets...

The...Old... Harvest Table...

yes...

they... had lived through...that...War...

but...

I was pulled... to another room...

a spare room... that I rarely visit...

where...I had taken The Old... Tiger Maple Desk...

I won the bid on... last year... at Jan's Sale...

Seems... that piece... has many Secrets...

 When I want to feel..

'Soulful'...

I find my way..to it...

It...Speaks... Loud...

I walked into the room...

and began...gently pulling all of the 'Secret' Compartments... out...

one... by one...

As my hands... ran across... each piece.... I could feel... the 'History'...

It's so... beautifully... hand constructed... and finely...dovetailed...

It... Drops... Me...

I remember... when I first saw it...

It was in a corner... in my friend, Jan's Basement...

We were 'staging'... her Sale....

The Old Desk... was dirty... and partially stripped...

She had bought it...many years ago... and had planned on finishing it...and putting it in her Home...

She knew... how... Early...and Wonderful..it was... too...

But... she never got around to it...

Tho... Everything... on her upper two levels... of her home... was...AMAZING...

I felt... to do this piece... justice... it, should be...upstairs....

I cleaned it all up...

and we...carried it around the house...

Up...a Hill...

took it up... two flights of stairs... and across the house...

then placed it... in one of the bedrooms...

{have ya ever lifted... Maple...??? It's Heavy!!! }

: )

I LOVED IT!!!

and planned on bidding on it... the moment...I saw it...

but... to be Fair...

It... needed to Shine...

If...my bid... got it... it would be meant to be...

{Tho...I was pretty sure... my bid... wouldn't touch it...}

A LONG...story short...there was only one...other bid... and it was below... mine...

I Couldn't Believe It!!!

I actually...felt bad...

I knew.. how much Jan...Loved it...

and told her... she didn't have to accept my bid....

She asked...if I was going to keep it....

and...Yes... I was...

she said... to go ahead...

: )

When Jan...showed me...all of the hidden compartments... I was stunned....

If...she hadn't...I'm not sure... I would have found them...

When...it called to me... again...this Eve...

I was thinking...about The Civil War...

The Secrets...

The Letters...

The Precious... Jewelry... Photographs... that may have been hidden inside...

When the War...was raging.... no one... was safe...

The White House... was nearly taken...by Lee....

Though... this piece... predates... the Civil War... by a few decades...

I knew... during the Unrest... this piece... came in... Handy...

I do...so... Love... these Old Souls....

I...truly... do...

Survivors...

that hold...Secrets...

they'll...never... tell...

I hope..you'll listen to the song...above...

As my hands... caressed... this old soul...

I thought...

if...

it could speak...

it would.. sing...this... tune...

: )

I'll always... keep it...

with me...

Love to ya...

Barb C.