The House on the Hill
The old house on the hill was a magical place to a young child Conjuring visions of grandeur from a time gone by Imagining winding staircases and huge chandeliers Surely an attic filled with treasures An old rocking horse, beloved train set and dusty photographs How I wished to explore the expansive home but it was not meant to be and remained an enigma The iron railing fence and huge gate always locked and foreboding Mounds of leaves from ancient trees picked up by chilly winds Only on rare occasions did we see her, the old lady who lived there Glimpses through the window of a face with grey hair pulled tight in a bun How we would giggle and make up stories of her being a witch who would snatch up small children and eat them for supper All so long ago but those memories still fresh as I picked up the Sold sign and turned the key Copyright © 2021 Christine Bolton - Poetry for Healing All Rights Reserved
Photo by Nathan Walker on Unsplash Laura is hosting D'Verse Poets tonight and has prompted us as follows
For this Poetics Prompt I want us to be voyeurs, peeping through windows and doors of a house One that has no family connections, no memories of our own to call upon .
- conjure an imaginary house of any size, any place, any age
- fill it with an imaginary person/people past or present, or ghosts, or leave it empty with its history
- make it literal but move into the metaphorical if you wish
Your poem made me shiver all over, I love its progression thru to the final gem lines.
Thank you Helen. I’m happy you liked some childhood memories, even though I didn’t buy that house ☺️💕
This poem has everything 😍 I love how seamlessly you incorporate the image of ” an attic filled with treasures/An old rocking horse, beloved train set and dusty photographs,”.. and finish with the twist at the end .. beautiful, beautiful work done! 💝💝
Thank you very much Sanaa ☺️🌺💕 I’m happy you liked it.
Fine work, killer close! Thanks.
Thanks Ron ☺️💕
fabulous ending!
Thanks Laura! ☺️🌺
I absolutely adore this, Christine! Such vivid, evocative, and funny imagery (really loved the witch eating children one–it shows the creativity of children and where our minds will go at that age).
“and dusty photographs
How I wished to explore
the expansive home
but it was not meant to be
and remained an enigma”
I feel this so much. God, this makes me think back to my last piano teacher’s house. There was a small mystery to it that eluded me, maybe it was the neighborhood or the way her house was, but something was mystifying about it. She was a very nice lady, but there was something off with it and even herself a little. I don’t know, but I guess houses have that power to create such character in people that it either reflects them or doesn’t. Very well penned, always enjoy reading you. <3
Thank you Lucy ☺️❤️ Yes I think we can all relate to this. I remember an old neighbor who lived upstairs to us. To me as a 5 year old, she was ancient and she had a hump on her back. She was always going on about her roses. Looking back she couldn’t have been that old but everyone is scary when you’re little 🤣
awesome
Thanks so much Abdul ☺️
Every neighborhood needs a house like that for children’s stories…glad one grew up to own it!
Thanks Lynn. We had one kinda like it, maybe n to as grand. But we did used to say an old lady was a witch and ate children. I feel really bad about that to this day. 😢 What do we know when we’re kids?
I thought it of one of my childhood neighbors as well…it’s those fairytales we read!
Yes! That and our parents putting the fear of God in us 😳
So nicely done Christine! I love how the imagination of children conjures up all sorts of crazy things… The twist of the lock at the end is perfect~
Thanks Dwight. Yes, we were all so full of wonder at that age. Everything was magical the. ☺️🌺
Nice “twist” at the end, Christine 🙂
Thanks Lisa. I’m happy you enjoyed it ☺️💕
You’re welcome 🙂 <3
I hope you find the long forgotten treasures here and not the left overs of the witch.
No! In my mind she was long gone and my character just wanted that house ☺️ Thanks Sadje 💕🌺
You’re welcome