On a wet Easter Monday morning
Pasquetta in Italy- but nothing special over here
Down at a nearly deserted Longue Hougue
Rusty the carousel rocking horse sat forlorn and abandoned
He had obviously been well loved by generations of children
Judging by his flaky metal exterior
Especially where children had spurred him on
To go faster and faster
Quickly placed in the back of the car
And once home sneaked in through the front door
Then two weeks of careful restoration work with loving care
No quick paint spray job for Rusty
Tempting as this may have seemed
Each detail of his noble head picked out and preserved
The two youngest grandchildren were entranced
And with seven grandchildren on board the chance of great grandchildren can`t be far off-
God willing, when they are ready
Had it been a week day Rusty would have already been bundled into a lorry for swift destruction
What luck that boredom and the now daily round of recycling
Took over and he found a new and permanent home
Judith Anne Finetti