Bargains
Muddy field gathering
The sun hardly risen in a hazy sky
On a bitter-cold Sunday morning
Where crooked lines of vehicles
Cars, pick-ups, estates and vans
Their doors and tailgates gaping
Spill out unfettered boxes and bags
Onto rumpled sheets
Or clumsy tables and trestles
Hand-written signs and tickets
Flotsam and jetsam, jumble and junk
Bits and pieces, prize possessions
Rubbish and tat, tipped out from attics
Sheds, cupboards, corners and garages
Wares, unwanted old objects
Superfluous to modern living
A mess tumbled out for inspection
Discards on display
For all the world to see
Regular traders and dealers
The old hands, with money-belts
Warm coats, gloved fingers
Plastic bags and pockets of change
The first-timers all over the place
Disorganised, descended-upon and picked over
Their children running amok in the chaos
Hoping to make a few bob
At least to cover the petrol
Before wearily packing up
And taking most of it back home again
And the casual punters just out for a laugh
Reviewing, rarely buying
Vaguely hunting for bargains
Inspecting gold, silver, copper and brass
Vintage, antique, restored and re-pro
Disputing provenance and price
Haggling over pennies
Cheaper on eBay, they’ll swear
Bargaining and bartering
Walking away from the vendors
Letting them stew on a best offer
Reluctantly called back
And concluding a hurried sale
Before heading to the car-park with their booty
And a well-earned decent breakfast
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