Lost Years

Abandoned Houses

empty houses gone to seed

empty kitchens with no one to feed

where once was laughter, spiders spin

forgotten dreams ... an off key song

no cat in the window... everyone's gone

where sheets once danced on a line

the tire swing replaced by poison vine

wildflowers where the roses grew

where is the family that loved and knew

where sunlight painted a bright design

floors once swept now warped with time

the slap of a screen door, the shout of a child

little secrets and presents piled

but daffodils still bloom in spring

robins, wrens, and bluebirds sing

do ghosts knit sweaters or answer the phone

do ghosts light candles when they are alone

abandoned houses, forgotten lives

the house sits empty, nobody's home