Bargains
Gathered in this muddy field
Cold Sunday morning, sun hardly risen
Crooked lines of vehicles
Cars, pick-ups, estates and vans
Doors and tailgates gaping
Spilling out boxes and bags
Onto sheets, tables and trestles
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 to casual view
Hand-written signs and tickets
Regulars, 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
Children running amok in the chaos,
Disorganised, descended-on and picked over,
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 punters just out for a laugh
Reviewing, rarely buying
Casually 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
Called back and concluding a sale
Before heading to the car-park with their booty
And a well-earned decent breakfast
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