"Memory Box"

I found an old shoe box in the basement
Taped shut and wrapped in twine,
And I wondered what it was
"I don't remember this, is it mine?"
It must have been there for ages
Covered in cobwebs and dust,
I had to know what was in it
Open this old box I must.

I undid the twine, cut the tape
Took off the old box top lid,
And peered into the shoebox
To discover what had been hid;
Right on top laid a scribbled note
In a child's hand something lie this,
"Herein lie my little memories
May it send you into bliss."

Under the note was a little pamphlet
"Enlist in the KISS army today!"
And I grinned from ear to ear
As my mind went into replay;
There was a bubblegum card
Barnabas Collins from Dark Shadows,
Along with a yellowed index card
The words of a song I used to know.

"You make me weak, I want to die"
Wendy always liked that song,
Something from an old Journey record
We both used to sing along;
And here's a piece of cheap crafted silver
Looks a lot like an old shoe,
And here's one like a top hat
Game pieces from Monopoly 1972.

And here's some big round button
The kind worn on jean jacket lapels,
This one says "Frodo Lives!"
The other Major Matt Mason from Mattel;
Why look here's a crumpled up picture
Me and Ralph and a bunch of friends,
The day we tore down the clubhouse
What a long strange trip it's been.

Here's a James Bond tarot card,
And there's an ex gal pal's mood ring,
A leather band with my name on it
That I made at school one long ago spring;
Here's an old cassette tape,
Letters faded it reads "STYX- Equinox",
Lorelei let's spend the night together,
Man, that tune still rocks.

And here at the very bottom
Is the creme, yes the creme of the crop,
Black and white photo of an air force sergeant
In a time when the world seemed to stop;
"Hello Daddy" I softly whisper,
And then I put all these remembrances away,
Seal up the memory box with tape and twine
To visit again some distant day.