A not-for-sale boutique

[Voice of a concept store owner in the city of Ghent, Belgium]

‘My wonder, obsession, a tick—

early years pickled in plastic.

        Take a look around!

my childhood, my lovely pain,

two hundred records and

little clay figurines swing from strings

by the backs of their knees—

        The stuff of me once forgotten these

then reconciled and healing me

this open-to-public therapy

fragile, precious, and happily

a shop with nothing for sale to thee.

        Or did you say “also mine”? 

Then why not…

        That’ll be nineteen ninety-nine.’