nichepoetryandprose

On my virtual biking trip along the Sèvre Niortaise in central France, I saw an abandoned house.  Its roof had collapsed, its side buildings were reduced to ruined stone walls and its windows and doors were empty eyes …

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It reminded me of a painting of an abandoned house by Liam Rainsford (published as ‘Abandoned’ on his Blog on April 15, 2012).  You can see his painting at  http://liamrainsford.com/2012/04/14/abandoned-oil-painting/

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I have been writing a series of poems on the theme of abandonment and Liam’s haunting painting inspired this poem:

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abandoned house

            – response to the painting ‘Abandoned’ by Liam Rainsford (April 15, 2012)

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stone ruin,

vacant, a shell

disinterested (since they went away)

in the state of the road

or comings and goings

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only the fence posts have opinions

one, a stoic, is the neighbor’s boy,

waits by the gate

one post swoons in disbelief –

roof fallen in, garden weedy,

fields overgrown

what’s a good fence for, but to keep hunger away?

keep people in?

fence wires lead off, toward the east

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walk through the front door, into open air

views unobstructed

tree tops, remote hills, expanses of sky

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ghosts are lonely here,

peering into windows, entering

the lean-to door

with a basket of eggs,

over and over

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Copyright  Jane Tims  2013