How do you weigh a house?
The bricks and mortar, tiles and chimneys?
No doubt those guards are weighty.
Surely include the landscaped garden,
its drooping flowers,
and heavy seed heads?
The shrubs, the herbs in pots?
The ponds?
The lolly stick crosses of long missed pets?
The contents are substantial.
Soft sofas and chairs
Imprinted with cosy evenings,
tables laden with feasts,
wardrobes full of outdated fashion,
beds crumpled with comfortable passion.
Oh, and the books. The shelves,
and shelves, of books.
How do you weigh a house,
where thoughts expanded,
where children left their giggles in corners,
where the halls still echo with the stamps
and slamming doors of angry love?
Where images of daily living in the living room
never fade?
A house where you can still find pine needles
In the carpets of Christmas pasts,
and there are still stars on the ceiling,
stuck there on a little girl’s whim.
Where hugs and waves and tears
tarnished the front door
after you said ‘I’ll be back soon’.
How do you weigh a house
that is at once so empty
and yet
so full?
Rebooting 
So evocative of my house move after 36 yrs in Edinburgh. Love the sentiment
Wardrobes full of outdated passion
Beds crumpled with comfortable passion
Slamming doors of angry love
Wish I’d written that
BGP poet
Thank you! We are moving 200 miles after nearly 28 years. Excited, but so sad to be leaving this house behind. Hope it was a successful move for you. x
200 miles?! Where are you off to? Wherever it is you’re headed, I wish you all the very best. You’ll be missed at the writers group (if it ever reconvenes). The female factor is already shrinkingly small there. Moving house is so exciting – and you get to take all your memories with you. New adventures await! Hope the physical move is as smooth and stress-free for you as it can be. Good luck with everything. (Very cool poem by the way. I love the question, “How do you weigh a house?” I’d start with the baking shelf in the pantry!) 🙂 x
Hehee… the baking shelf is defo one of the heaviest! Sorry, I thought KM had emailed everyone to let them know I was off. I’ll email you with the details xx