Oh how the winds of time have worn this house,
Sweeping away the vibrance that once surrounded it,
Leaving empty chairs at our table,

Gone,
In an instant ;

The wooden ladle,
Still in the dish,
Still warm,

After the commotion,
The constant locomotion,
The dust has settled,
And time grinds to a halt,

Oh, what great treasures are woven into these walls,
Every scratch, every crack,
A story,

Oh great house,
Oh great kingdom upon a time
Once ;

A sea,
Where the gulls call legends above,
In the open firmament of our memories,

Ascending,
And returning,
Dodging the salty spray:
Decay,

Held aloft by the winds of recollection,
An ever present mental convection,

A watched *** that never boils,

A memory that never fades...