...is there anything you want before you go?edit 1.0 chris, erthona

[ChristopherSea]

Today I bought a pen-knife; I have three more back home.
At this age I want it all; all that I never had,
or had, but want again. The day before I bought a book;
I know it well, but maybe just because it looks
as though it, too, deserved a second chance,
I took it to my bed last night.

Sleep was near, but thumbing through the dry, frail pages
I breathed in air from years ago. Each sandwiched leaf exhaled
on turning, all the words I used to know; now infrequent visitors
from time’s past paragraph. I forget their names;
such unfamiliarity. I really ought to keep in touch
in this late hour, before I finally succumb.

That pen-knife that I bought today; I put it down somewhere.
I looked for it in all the places lost things seem to go.
The other two are in my box of tools and string and glue;
or were last time I looked, but I don’t recall where every cache
is hidden anymore. At least I have the one I bought today.
Enough. I put out the bedside light. Something falls to the floor.

Whatever it was, it will still be there tomorrow.

tectak
Cringletie House Hotel
2014

You sound like a compulsive shopper Tom. Ask yourself, do I really need this (or another one)? You need a space here between: 'again.The'. I see some confusion in the 'box of...' and lost 'cache(s)'. I like your rationale for buying the second copy of the book, the second chance. The repeat with the altered recollection of items in the third stanza is reminiscent of early Alzheimer’s and very effective. I might substitute 'may' for 'will' in that final line. It would be more fitting with your theme. This holiday that you are on is really sparking your poetry. Keep at these gems./Chris