I take a walk to yesteryear
To see what I can find
What resourceful relic of the past
Has someone left behind
While walking down the country lane
There in front of me
Is this old fashioned brick building
Waiting for me to see
What treasures might I soon find
Forgotten memories unearth
Perhaps some National Heritage
Beyond monetary worth
The ancient ledge and braced stable-door
Fallen into dis-repair
And I walked beneath the arched head frame
To see what was hidden there
Various signs adorned the walls
Now with rust and dirt on top
Indicative that this quaint building
May have housed the Village shop
Where villagers may have purchased
Venus Soap or a pair of Frisby’s Boots
For there were no Supermarkets then
Only this shop with local recruits
To man the tills and fill the shelves
And cater for what customers require
As they wander round selecting goods
Or just warm by the open fire
On the shelves there were glass stoppered jars
With sweets and biscuits inside
And a tug of the hand from the children
Expectant with eyes open wide
Or did Mum want some disinfectant
A loaf of bread and some butter and cheese
Perhaps some sausages, potatoes and carrots
To make a meal for her husband to please
All of this I imagined with my eyes closed tight
After a glimpse of the surroundings there
Standing in the remnants of a bygone age
Of a time when folks used to care
Where respect and reverence were an everyday occurrence
Sadly missing in my mind I must say
As I stepped once more into the daylight
After my trip to a long gone yesterday.