People came every day to view the house

Old threadbare carpets lay underfoot

Furniture belonging to another time

A sofa bed for visitors, always welcome

Soft and warm and well used

 

Sun shone through the open back door

A swing, motionless, hanging from a tree

Toys scattered, covered by the undergrowth

Memories of children’s laughter

Silent for a long time now

 

He wanted their childhood home

To be cherished again

Not “open up this space” or

“Extend up and out” or

“Glass doors to take in the view”

 

It was perfect as it was

Its quirky shape and lived in rooms

The fireplace drawing everyone in

Where songs were sung, stories told,

And everyone laughed a lot

 

A lick of paint, a bright colour here and there

Would put a smile on the old house again

It wouldn’t cost much or take long

The house was solid and grounded

Like the people who once lived there.

 

 

Josephine Nolan