The House.

"There's a sense of betrayal moving out of a house;
A perfectly good home that you've fussed and grown in.
The walls get together and wonder,
"Who did it?"
Which one messed up enough to make us want to leave?
Everyone points to the remaining lathe & plaster wall by the stairs,
But there's a certain beauty in a wall so rugged and old.
No, it wasn't the lathe & plaster.


The roofs all take their turn apologizing, because each one did leak
At one time or another,
Except for the main one up high.
It looks down on the others with such a scowl.
The kitchen was the worst, but not now.
Now, it's totally leak-free.
No, it wasn't any roof.


The plumbing admits that it's probably the culprit;
All those pinhole leaks in the basement.
Well, they weren't really fun, but now,
We're excellent plumbers ourselves,
Grateful for the practice.
So no, the plumbing wasn't the cause.


The windows and the wiring are both completely new.
They're still quite shy.
We hardly know them.


Each room, now emptied, blinks at another,
Looking for some kind of clue.
The basement, normally full of all kinds of stuff,
Rests with this new empty echo, as if to shake it's head,
Concentrating on the lonely sound of the dehumidifier,
The indifference of the water heater,
The denial of the water softener,
And the sad, methodical gasps of the 
Sump pump that just can't believe we're going.


The outside of the house grumbles that it,
"Did it's best," out there.
'Always forgotten.
But the outside of the house and gardens
Have finally meshed.  The vines and shrubs
Are now lush. and embracing the walls in such a loving way.
And the rest of the gardens and pathways have
Settled in, after 19 years, to create a real gem.


"A real gem."
"Did you hear that everyone?  We're a 
Real Gem," it says.


So the whole building puzzles while we pack and shuffle.
"Why would they leave a gem?"
"Maybe something's wrong with them?"
And with that, the house takes note of us
As we avert our eyes.
We move quickly and don't stare too long because we might 
Cry.
But the house sees that we have all grown and
Changed.
And it sees our yearning for
The next step,
The next adventure,
Something new.


And then the house puffs up.
Yes, the house puffs up.
The rooms giggle,
The roofs sing,
And the wiring and the windows,
Even so shy,
Chatter.


"Sorry to see you go,
But we've heard that there are new people coming.
We can't wait to meet them.
Oh the fun we will have!"


And we hand over the keys...