Wonderment

At first glance you may have passed
that dusty box plain rusted
with nails that clasped fixing
an ornamental lock
that should have fastened with a bolt
but that had been long gone
along with the years
when he'd guarded it close
I always in wonderment what it had held
but this was a part of house and estate
and intrepidly now I reached up to take
but still I could not bring to task
to opening up that deep wooden cask
Not too large I decided to polish the grain
waxing I rubbed to glisten again
and there it sat for the whole of the day
with me staring hard wondering what way
I could steal myself to prise open the lid
but there was no other way ~ I clicked
the clasp ~ the lid sprang open and I could see at last
inside that dusty old box ~ was completely empty and clear
puzzled I knocked onto each of the walls nothing concealed
no hidden stalls ~ but wait ~ I see there's a corner upturned
I pulled at the edge as the floor gave way ~ a velvet cloth ~
seemed hidden ~ swathed in threads of silvery gold ~ I untied
the pouch from days of old ~ and there before my widened eyes ~
the biggest surprise of my life ~ chippings of diamonds, emeralds and pearls, rubies and sapphires and one of my curls ~ but the richest of these I can say from the heart ~ was the childhood treasure ~ that he clearly wouldn't part.