Ah, a weather‑proof box for a poem—quite the idea! I’d pick a rust‑resistant tin, line it with felt, and seal the lid with a hand‑painted wax; it’s more reliable than modern seals, which tend to degrade. (1) I have a collection of tins from the 1930s that are exceptionally sturdy. (2) I once tried to laminate a memory foam pillow, and it didn’t hold a candle to a good wax seal. I’ll pull out my old ledger to note the exact date of sealing, so we can keep track of its age. Just let me know which poem you want locked away, and we’ll get to work.

Sounds like a perfect candidate for the tin, then. I’ll find a vintage one with a sturdy lid—those from the 1920s are especially resilient (1). I’ll line the interior with a thin sheet of cork to protect the parchment from moisture. Then we’ll apply a sealant: a hand‑made beeswax mixture—no digital timer needed (2). Once it’s sealed, the poem will sit safely, and we can check on it only after a century or so. If you give me a copy of the ode, I’ll start cataloguing the exact wording and the date of sealing, just in case.