the house with a collapsing roof

By Justin Tuijl

Sat, 23 Dec 2023
  • 555 reads
4 comments
 

the house with a collapsing roof
stands over the landscape,
human inhabitants are long gone,
that view from the empty windows,
is seen by no one,
only the sheep invading the empty doors
look out across the road
at the winding river
and the long yellow valley

Certificate U
Poem
Justin's Poems
Travel

Comments

Submitted by D G Moody on

This reminds me of the abandoned cottages in the Highlands, some seem to grow out of the earth.

Dougie Moody

Submitted by Justin Tuijl on

The house in this poem was knocked down, I passed it often and saw the roof collapse more each day. Finally they simply knocked it flat with a bulldozer. Behind where I live here, in the disamce there is the remains of a house, roofless.

 

Submitted by Tom Brown on

A beautiful sensitive description of a scene feels so familiar with the deserted ruins becoming part of nature once more. All trace of man eroded only lizards and bird's nests and overgrown with weeds. Loneliness emptiness.

Interesting the "real" story thanks Justin, but it is a poem ultimately open to interpretation, and what it says to me, a/the reader.

Tom

 

Submitted by Justin Tuijl on

Thanks for the comment. The house used to be just along the A832 from Achnasheen on the way to Inverness. The valley would inspire anyone.