Lost and... found

It really wasn't lost. It was hidden. (Long pause.)
Okay. It really wasn't hidden. It was obscured. (Longer pause)

Treasures are often obscured in those deeply dark corners of life. Like beryl in it's unpolished state. This particular treasure was shadowed in a deeply dark corner of the garden shed (aka science lab) just enough out of the mainstream that my eye didn't see it for it's worth. Until one day, it bushwacked me- slapped my attention around a bit until I gave notice.  Hmmmm. Standing over five feet tall,  sunburned from excessive UV,  and delicately scarred by the whips of use.   Distressed as only a shabby could love.  I turned straight on to my new found slender green cabinet, and said, "I like you."

And that was it... I liked it. But not enough to face the spiders, snakes... and lions that were no doubt lurking on every shelf and underpinning. And so there my cabinet stayed... in the shed for years. Once in a while I would see it, and gave my regards, "I still like you." And off I'd go, not willing to deal with the creepy crawlies.

Until one day. I managed to convince a certain someone to lug it out of the shed and check it over for me. (I know...I'm an absolute wimp.)

After it passed inspection, I carefully scrubbed it clean as to not disturb its natural weather. With a little help from an old sand cherub for frontal detail- it now has an honored new life in my studio as my supply cabinet. My desk faces it while I write. I often catch myself glancing in it's direction- casting a whisper, "I do like you. Very, very much."