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?