Once a young couple saw this house.
They moved in, with one young one in tow.
The family grew, and the house grew to.
A bomb shelter, and a porch
Not enough room.
A kitchen addition
Another porch
All added on.

As the family grew,
They grew outdoors
A pond was made deeper
Pools came and went,
and came again
Gardens, gardens everywhere.
Children weeding, children eating.
Lawn mowers, mowing
The hot kiss of the summer grass
The cold kiss of the winter snow.

Yet still more room?
Construction begins
An attic is changed
Was it magic? Or just hard work?
A big cold bedroom and another bath
Both become,
Forever
The realm of the fairer sex.
Lothlórien
No boys, like dwarves allowed
Eye of newt and magic spells
Boys forever banned to the lower realms, Moria, the second floor.

At one point there were four, 3 girls and a boy.
Hopes of even numbers shattered.
Then another boy 3, and 2, oh so close.
Then another girl, bright and smiley.
Add another boy to make it…4 and 3?.
Then a pause. Game over. The ref is heading out the door.
Children in school, children in plays.
But wait overtime is called.
The owners meet and conference call and then…
Finally a last one added to the brood.
Boy or girl? Even or not?
The final score is – 4 and 4!
Now let there be wars.
The family rejoiced, and the house,
The house grew tired.

As the family grew so did the driveway.
There were basketball games
There was wood to split
There were bikes galore
There was a camper in the yard
And what
What was that?
A monkey in the house!

Then there were friends
Neighbors
Social hours
Fairy circles
Wild kingdom in the halls
Hidden mouse doors
Terabithia and middle earth.

Then there were boyfriends, lots of those.
And then cars, and cars, AND CARS!
Where was Neal Cassidy when it came time to park those cars?

Graduations
Then the children
One by one
Started to go
Away…

Colleges called, yes all eight
All away, all returning with degrees
Before heading off again.

The house started to relax,
The numbers started to thin.
but then
Was that the sound of tiny reindeers?
No!
What ho? Suddenly new family members
Inlaws and outlaws, children moving home
Babies again, hadn’t the house already done this before?
The house had to stop and ask itself…
Would they ever go?

Then they did.
One by one.
The house grew
Empty.
But not yet, Now there was
Just two.
The first two, all these years
Still together.
The house drew them in
Settling around them
Like an old cardigan

Then.
Then they were gone.

After all those years they could not be apart.
No, not for very long.
The second one quickly followed the first.
Now the house stood
Silent.

Until

A bustle of activity, unfamiliar feet
Vans, cars, trailers moving things around
Things stored away for 50 years
Brought out to see the day.
Then the sale.
Little bits of this and that, disappearing
Off to go to other houses, other homes.

Now,

Suddenly,
The house stands empty.
Echoes ring in and out.
Then fade.

The house sits quiet.
Empty rooms, Empty halls.
What next?
Who can tell?