When I was a child my Dad would read poems to me from The Complete Poems of Paul Laurence Dunbar.  Recently, I picked up this book and found a tongue depressor stick with a little bear painted on it marking a poem.  I had just laid out this still life with objects from my curio cabinet and to my amazement this marked poem gave me emotion and a story for my still life. 

"Waiting" by Paul Laurence Dunbar, one verse:

"The cruel wind is rising

With a whistle and a wail.

My eyes are seaward straining

For the coming of a sail;

But void the sea and void the beach

Far and beyond where gaze can reach! 

And it's weary, weary waiting , Love."