Haunted Houses - by
All houses wherein men have lived and died
Are haunted houses. Through the open doors
The harmless phantoms on their errands glide,
With feet that make no sound upon the floors.
All houses wherein men have lived and died
Are haunted houses. Through the open doors
The harmless phantoms on their errands glide,
With feet that make no sound upon the floors.
‘The door is shut fast And everyone’s out.’ But people don’t know What they’re talking about! Say the fly on the wall, And the flame on the coals, And the dog on his rug, And the mice in their holes, And the kitten curled up, And the spiders that spin — ‘What, everyone out? Why, […]
I still remember when I cared enough / to watch you sleep
First the welcoming. Smiles all round. A space
For handshakes.
A lifetime of work to own a house / then you end up diminished by it.
Here, where the noises of the busy town, / The ocean’s plunge and roar can enter not, / We stand…
And this was known as the milk room,
/ the coldest room in the cool house.
/ There, on a paint-stained table,
/ Jugs and bowls…
a mia padre
/
/ Esta es la casa. Las ventanas abiertas
/ dejan caer la luz y una frágil
/ penumbra se esconde en los rincones.
/ Suaves…
The living room remembers Gran dancing to Count Basie.
/ The kitchen can still hear my aunts fighting on Christmas day.
/ The hall…
The banister begs for biddable bodies.
/ The pantry pleads for plentiful provisions.
/ The cooker cries out for creative cuisine.
/ The…
For et par år sida ramla en duggdråpe ut av et av
/ kronbladene i liljetapeten i det avstengte rommet i…
būt suņa dzīvoklim ar trim rejošām istabām
/ ar sprauslājošu vannas istabu
/ kur pil aukstu slienu
/ un karstu siekalu krāni
/
/ suņa dzīvoklis ar grīdām
/ kas kauc…
The Scottish Poetry Library is staffed weekdays from 10am – 2pm and is providing a limited service including postal loans and Click & Collect. For details, click COVID-19 in the menu bar above. Dismiss