New Year Resolution
 

I vow not to waste my time on eBay.
I will forgo the bale of twenty
Egyptian Cotton towels, in various
sizes, eschew all Jasperware
and onyx , stifle my craving
for  kitchenalia, especially teapots
and, though it’s hard, the satin underwear
my husband neglects to buy.
 
Never again will I be known as Guzzlepip
or Flickberry  (my second string).
Or be online, heart hammering
at an auction’s end. ‘Congratulations
you  won six stunning novelty eggcups.’
No more will I compose arresting
phrases for a seller’s delectation,
something better than A++,
Good comms! Brilliant! Superb!
 
In time my password will be defunct,
my four hundred and thirty positive
feedbacks read like a roll of honour
my purchases upgrade to antique or retro
and who knows, when I have passed on,
my children (Missingpigs and Cybervortex),
will, as my executors, list and relist
at prices I never bargained for.
 
 
* Ruth Smith says
“I used to teach English but now spend my time travelling and writing
poems. I've had poems published here, there and not very often including, most recently, Magma and Orbis. Other work has appeared in anthologies including Entering The Tapestry produced by The Poetry School.”