Not too far from the side of the country roads, the old houses still stand.
A testament to the workmanship of centuries ago.
But neglected vines climb up the rain spout and work their way under the roof shingles, seemingly choking what were once no doubt spirited, lovely homes.
But there is still beauty in it.
The kind of beauty only something old can bring. I love old things. Their memories, struggles and joys remain with us. I suppose if you think of a house as little more than wood and nails, you might find this strange. But if you believe, as I do, that a house, especially one that has provided shelter for generations, takes on a life of it’s own, then you understand.
There are many houses not far from our cabin that have fallen victim to neglect. Each time I pass them it makes me sad and I secretly, albeit irrationally, hope that one day they will all magically be returned to their former beauty.
I came across this poem and knew I had to share it with you. It expresses my sentiments precisely.
The House with Nobody In It
by
Joyce Kilmer
Whenever I walk to Suffern along the Erie track
I go by a poor old farmhouse with its shingles broken and black.
I suppose I’ve passed it a hundred times, but I always stop for a minute
And look at the house, the tragic house, the house with nobody in it.
I never have seen a haunted house, but I hear there are such things;
That they hold the talk of spirits, their mirth and sorrowings.
I know this house isn’t haunted, and I wish it were, I do;
For it wouldn’t be so lonely if it had a ghost or two.
This house on the road to Suffern needs a dozen panes of glass,
And somebody ought to weed the walk and take a scythe to the grass.
It needs new paint and shingles, and the vines should be trimmed and tied;
But what it needs the most of all is some people living inside.
If I had a lot of money and all my debts were paid
I’d put a gang of men to work with brush and saw and spade.
I’d buy that place and fix it up the way it used to be
And I’d find some people who wanted a home and give it to them free.
Now, a new house standing empty, with staring window and door,
Looks idle, perhaps, and foolish, like a hat on its block in the store.
But there’s nothing mournful about it; it cannot be sad and lone
For the lack of something within it that it has never known.
But a house that has done what a house should do,
a house that has sheltered life,
That has put its loving wooden arms around a man and his wife,
A house that has echoed a baby’s laugh and held up his stumbling feet,
Is the saddest sight, when it’s left alone, that ever your eyes could meet.
So whenever I go to Suffern along the Erie track
I never go by the empty house without stopping and looking back,
Yet it hurts me to look at the crumbling roof and the shutters fallen apart,
For I can’t help thinking the poor old house is a house with a broken heart.
Sharing At
Tweak It Tuesday
kelly says
It is sad to see a house go into disrepair like that. Unfortunately, they dot the country everywhere. I often tell my husband that if we don’t get our house repainted soon, that our home will look like one of those! LOL!
Doreen says
There’s a house nearby that just one year ago was considered quite nice, but I almost considered including a picture of it in this post. That’s how much it has deteriorated in just one year. The owners moved and the house is on the market, but no one has maintained it and it has gone from a lovely, stately home to an eyesore.
Tell your hubby to get a move on Kelly!
Nana Diana says
When I was a child my father read me a lot of poetry and I remember hearing this one many, many times. I cannot tell you how many times I drive by those old houses and wonder just how many loads of laundry hung on the long-gone lines…how many times laughter rang from the kitchen and how many sorrows those old walls embraced. You have a heart like mine, Doreen! xo Diana
Sue says
House with a broken heart! Such a perfect poem for this house and the great photos you took. I spent some time here “looking back.”
Jane says
The poem really catches the mood of the house. I see so many like this at the lake, I know they must have once been shelter to happy families during good times.
Jane xx
Alycia Nichols says
Hi, Doreen! I’m of the conviction that houses have “souls” of sorts. To see an abandoned house, rather it’s one that stands tall and grand or one that is more humble in its size and provisions, I always wonder why. Why is this house that once held (I hope, anyway) love and laughter and ideas and family dinners and occasions…why is it now sitting empty and neglected? What happened? Did the family fall on hard times? Did the last occupant have no living relatives to take it over? Did some tragedy occur here that left the house undesirable for occupancy? I try to imagine who lived there, what they might have done for a living…all the “normal” things.
We live in a historic neighborhood, Longview, that once was home to a lumber and horse barren. The mansion with its lush & expansive grounds that was his family’s primary residence still stands and has been converted into a reception site. As a wedding planner, I worked there many times over the years. (Literally in walking distance from home…great!) The show horse arena was converted to an elementary school back in 2005 or so, and they used a lot of salvaged lumber from the original structure to create unique features in the school. It’s really beautiful. We sometimes hold our annual HOA meeting there. There is a restaurant in the newly-developed commercial area that includes some of the lumber and doors, too. Sadly, though, there are many other buildings throughout the area that are yet to be restored. They sit in disrepair and are, I’m sure, a blight to those who do not know the history behind them. I like to stand out in front of those buildings and just imagine. We are hoping that restoration of these buildings is quickly forthcoming. It would be so neat to see how the great history of Longview translates into today’s structures!
Neat post! Have a great week!
Doreen says
Hi Alycia! I stopped by last week just in case I might have missed something and noticed you’re still taking a blog break. I hope your back issues are getting resolved and that you’re ok?
The situation you have described in your hometown of Longview sounds like a best case scenario. Turning what is no longer used or needed into something viable and beautiful, such as a school, is brilliant! It must be beautiful and unique…so much better than the utilitarian, non-descript structures being built today.
Thanks so much for stopping by and commenting!
xxx
Cecilia says
Oh Doreen, I so agree. I hate to see an old house falling into disrepair. I love old houses and want to fix them up. As costly as it would be, I’d love to find one and redo it to have life within again. The poem says it beautifully. A broken heart, indeed.
Hugs
Cecilia
Denise says
I’ll never look a an old worn house the same way again. Thanks for sharing. xxDenise
Doreen says
And thanks for reading Denise :). Miss you!
xxx
andi says
What a lovely poem…and lovely photos. Of a lovely, sad, old home.
-andi
Magali@TheLittleWhiteHouse says
Each and every one of those abandonned houses makes my heart ache and makes me want to take care of them.
Cynthia says
What a lovely poem Doreen. It makes me sad to see house that aren’t loved anymore. I also wish I had the money to repair them and bring them back to their beauty and love them the way they deserve. Since that money is a fantasy, when I pass t hose houses I so hope someone will see the love it needs and take the project on.
Cindy
Shirley@Housepitality Designs says
What a beautiful post and Joyce Kilmer said it so eloquently….love this!
Deb @ Frugal Little Bungalow says
I love older houses …this is a sad but beautiful poem and post ! 🙂
Jann Olson says
Doreen, oh my ; I can see the potential in that old farmhouse! Love the character that it holds. The poem fits it perfectly to a tee. I would love to be able to rescue it and have it filled with love and laughter again!
hugs,
Jann
Poppy says
My own heart breaks over such houses. I know there is a lot of devastation, violence, sickness, and ill justice in the world today, but it doesn’t make these forgotten houses that were once filled with family, laughter and togetherness, less painful. Houses are our cozy and safe cocoons in this sometimes frightening world, and when they are abandoned, for whatever reason, it makes me feel as if its owners might have also surrendered to life’s harsh realities. Your images of these lonely, rundown dwellings intrigue the eye, but sadden the heart, as they illustrate so fittingly, the endearing poem by Joyce Kilmer, who, so eloquently put into words the feelings echoed by those who read them.
xoxo
Poppy
SharonFromMichigan says
Oh Doreen, I love that poem! I had never heard it before, but it echoes my sentiments exactly. Living so close to Detroit I see a lot of abandoned homes on my bus ride into the city. I try to make up stories in my mind of how the houses looked when happy families lived in them. I think a house is just a house until someone moves in, then it’s a home. It absolutely amazes me how quickly the earth reclaims buildings when there is no life in them. As I sit at my desk at work, I look out the window and can see the tops of abandoned office buildings that literally have very large trees growing out of the roofs. I guess seeds blew up there on the wind and took hold. Some of these buildings have collapsed floors in them so the roots of the trees must live in the rubble. Its an odd site, but then Detroit is an odd city. One block has decaying buildings and the next block is full of life and businesses.
Doreen@househoneys says
I had never heard that poem before either Sharon, but it’s like he wrote it just for people like us.
How odd that there are large trees growing on roofs like that. One would think that a fair amount of soil would be needed for them to take hold. Kinda reminds me of that story ‘A Tree Grows In Brooklyn’.
As always, thank you for stopping by!
xxx
bj says
O, such beautiful olden houses..the workmanship that went into the older houses is so missed in this day and time.
I am totally surprised that someone hasn’t bought those old houses, fix them up and sell them. I would have loved to have one of the large ones when I was young…not now, tho…
Over from Cozy Little House.
Angela says
What a beautiful post and poem!!! Is the Good Lord speaking to your heart to save this house?? Wouldn’t that be an awesome endeavor??!!! Love old homes and daydreaming about the life the house once had!~~Ang
normaleverydaylife says
I love old houses and this one looks like it could be so beautiful! Great poem to go with it!
Kim says
What a beautiful poem and such sad photos. I adore old homes, I live in one myself. Whenever I see one that has been abandoned, I always think of the original owner and how sad it is that the house has fallen into such disrepair.
Vickie says
What a lovely post, Doreen! This same thing is happening in our town. The older homes that need work are empty and falling into disrepair because the younger generation want to build new homes. It’s so sad to see these once stately homes sit empty!
AnnMarie says
I love this! I want to hug that old house! Sadly, there are too many of them around. I’d love to go and take some of that chippy wood too!
Vashti Quiroz-Vega says
Lovely post Doreen. I wonder why these houses are abandoned they have such good bones. I loved the pictures and the poem. Well done! 😀
Curtains In My Tree says
I imagine in my mind that Grandma and Grandpa either died or went to a nursing home and the kids all lived in a large city someplace and didn’t want their parents or Grandparents old home place so she sits with only her memories inside , and now Grandma and Grandpa have left this earth and the old home place still sits empty