House

a string of thanks

Love allied to household things
does not die, or bleakly harden.
From a long house-hunting springs
love, allied to household things.
Here is a castle, fit for kings –
eight rooms all told, a shed, a garden.
Love allied to household things
does not die, or bleakly harden.

With work each other’s lives we woo.
(When we married it was the same.)
A spark flies off from what we do –
with work each other’s lives we woo.
With paper, sticks and paraffin too
the old rose-branches burst in flame.
With work each other’s lives we woo.
(When we married it was the same.)

And we can say we were not poor –
for the house’s wealth is us ourselves!
We’ll spend five bob on a “new” front door,
and we can say we were not poor.
As rich as Croesus the kitchen floor,
the silver birch, and the living-room shelves.
And we can say we were not poor,
for the house’s wealth is us ourselves.

Now the policy is deep
by which all our goods are covered.
In a storm yet we may sleep
(now the policy is deep)
if the simple mortar keep
by which friendship’s re-discovered.
Now the policy is deep
by which all our goods are covered.

Making the place look less like a shack
is fine if you take your time about it.
On Boxing Day I broke my back
making the place look less like a shack.
(In other words, I began to tack
the stair-carpet down – but we can do without it.)
Making the place look less like a shack
is fine if you take your time about it.

Love allied to household things
does not die, or bleakly harden.
From a long house-hunting springs
love, allied to household things.
Here is a castle, fit for kings –
eight rooms all told, a shed, a garden.
Love allied to household things
does not die, or bleakly harden.