Memories of a Home

A big, white, sturdy
Farmhouse.
With a long, marbled sidewalk leading
Up to the front porch,
Muggy or chilly depending on the season.
Encircled by the white fence,
Made for protection and attractiveness,
But also for sitting and climbing into your favorite tree.
With windows for looking out over the fields of crops.

Child-rearing, a total of twelve,
Grew up in its watchful eye that missed nothing.
Dozens more children were raised,
During hot summer days, holidays,
And when their parents needed a break.

Fostering hide-and-seek in the closets,
Behind the curtains,
And under the beds,
Everyone had their favorite spot.
Marbles always played on the carpet in the living room,
And checkers in the toy porch
Where the light would shine in the windows, warming your face.

Hosting family gatherings, birthday parties,
Church meetings and any other opportunities for
Fellowship between friends,
No one was ever turned away from the
Love that radiated through its walls like a heartbeat.
They got older and so did it,
No more parties, no more big gatherings,
Just a place for a quiet visit from family and friends.
Upstairs rooms empty and lonely,
Stairs barely creaked by owners' footsteps,
Walls aching for activity once more.
Until a young new family
Replaced its aging owners.

The young family brought exciting changes.
Stairs found themselves being bounced up and down once again,
Rooms upstairs were being lived in,
Walls were covered with posters and pictures,
Everything was coming back to life.
Marbles, checkers, and hide-and-seek
Were replaced with
Sleepovers, video games,
And nerf guns bouncing off its silent, strong walls.
Music filled each room, a modern medley or progression
From past to present, old to young, quiet to chaotic.

Raising these children up right
Just as it had done many times before,
It did not miss one smile, tear, or peal of laughter.
The house doing its job for one final time
For the 4th generation.

Knowing it was the end
The house smiled, its job was done.
Gathering up the memories,
It was time to say goodbye
To candy in the cupboard, marbles on the floor,
Hide-and-seek throughout it and checkers on the porch.

Its family struggles at the hard task that is goodbye,
If only the walls could speak and tell of their long life
And their love for each and every one of the children
Raised throughout the many years

Moving through progression,
Material things will come and go but
Memories of the beloved farmhouse
Will stay in their hearts forever.

As a dying soul leaves its body an empty shell,
A house without a family cease to be a home,
The tired walls represented an empty shell,
For the family was its soul.