Walking Staff

Prompt for: April 28, 2016 (fyn)
Subject or Theme: Antiquities: A marvelous, possibly magical store, located halfway down a narrow alleyway .Meander the store and find one of the required items. What is the history behind the item? What tales might it tell? What happens when you choose it? Pick one: Antique trunk, filigreed locket with only one picture inside, intricately carved walking staff, ornate gilt framed mirror, Civil War era musket loader, a needle pointe sampler or a 'wedding ring' handmade quilt.
Word(s) to Include: forgotten, dust, hollow, knell (or any derivatives of these words)
Forbidden Word(s): the, of, on, up, down, a, an, with, it. Do not use any contractions. (or any derivatives, compound or hyphenations of these words)
Additional Parameters: Minimum of 36 lines. Be descriptive. Rhyming or not.
Remember, do not use forbidden words ANYWHERE, including title or the brief description. BE SURE to triple check for forbidden words...they tend to sneak their way in!

Looking for hidden treasures, I travel red-brick roads
running in checkerboard patterns, forgotten over time.
Narrow houses built years ago, now turned to struggling shops, where
chipped paints colored yellow, blue and green, almost knell, adorn.

As I pass, my imagination soars. Spinning tales,
what may have been. Creaking sounds above my head stops
me in my tracks. Cracked oak wood swings impetuously,
chains rusty gold, old style letters read:

Antiquities - Come browse wondrous mysteries

Intrigued, I enter elfin doors standing ajar.
Wonderful trinkets big and small, dusted nice and clean,
strategically placed to draw your attention, keen.
Marvelous old trunks, washing vases and lockets, too,
my eyes always roaming, beholding these treasures, dear.

When lights flickered catching intricate carvings,
such I've never seen, I mumbled words which I know not
and headed straight toward this item.
Gingerly walking, my footsteps echoed,
as if in hollowed walls and when
they stopped, before me stood hand-carved magnificence.

Cherry wood walking staff, made eons ago,
eagerly wanting to be mine. Like a baby, I cradle and protect.
Rescuing from such meager existence.
Standing tall in custom-made stand, as proudly as can be,
showing off all wondrous, magical markings for all to see.

I marvel at mysteries which must lie beneath
wood grains, lives I know must have been
touched through so many years:
Little old man who'd chase away kids, cutting through his yard,
lonely, middle-aged woman bent from her crooked back.
Possibly, as far back as Victorian Era:
Suave gentleman who needs no staff at all,
but always carries bestowing proudly.

Now my story will be among others,
adding one more chisel
into this historic, artful piece.

{36 lines}