This Old House 

What has happened to this house?
It seems as if we just built yesterday,
Yet the floors seem to give way as I stand. 
Its walls list and move as if it were a ship. 
Its appearance has changed from rust to gray, 
And it will never look as it did when new. 
A coat of paint is futile at this late date,
But do you still love this old house? 
Its spirit is young, but its old bones are worn and fragile. 
It needs extra care and sharp focus to remember what it once was. 
Houses like mine become abandoned 
Once no one can remember the glory that once was it - 
Me. 
My youthful splendor, easy to forget
Amidst the upkeep and decay.
Its shell could easily be lost
To something as natural as a spark of lightning, 
Or it could continue to decay 
Under the weight of the years
No matter how many coats of paint are applied. 
What has happened to this house? 
It seems as if we just built it yesterday. 
No caulk can keep the decay at bay. But
If I lay still, eyes closed, I still feel new and young.
Can you help me to remember this me, with pride,
How I used to be?
Until I open my eyes
Or try to stand on this home's precarious floors? 

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Category : Non-Fiction, pets
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