It was our first house
Built on sandy soil
My dad laughed at me
Choosing such place
A blasted heathland
As seen in his eyes
But we both loved it
Was where our hearts were
The land spread for miles
Low scrub scattered trees
Few horses grazing
Seen from our back yard
Our dog loved it too
Scampered through the fence
To chase rabbits
But never caught them
When our kiddies came
Fresh air and much more
Great place to explore
Hawks were hovering
Some pine trees grew there
Close to the dark lake
Whispering their secrets
Swaying in the breeze
But those days are gone
Still I remember
Daughter was born there
I was midwife's aide
Been back there again
The wildness has gone
Packed full of houses
And tears in my eyes
Image found at www.carolwolfe.net
Oh the prize of progress, when populations press against the nature... We are left alone with nothing but tears. Wonderful and sad tale.
ReplyDeleteWent back recently to a place I grew up in and yes, it can be sad to see it taken over and changed to form memories for other people..strangers.
ReplyDeleteYou certainly show the value of living close to nature - such freedom and a sense of plenty.
ReplyDeleteSad indeed when lovely places get built over. But you have the memories.
ReplyDeleteMemories can be a precious sustenance when all else is lost.
DeleteOh.. such a wonderful and intense longing to go back in time..!
ReplyDeletethis is how our earlier years are lost forever, & only linger in the heart....
ReplyDeleteA house becomes a home because of the people inside it and what happens there.. it is sad when that goes..
ReplyDeleteOh, I hear your sadness in this, Robin. I have driven by places that I remembered as being one way (with fond memories), only to find that they had completely changed. Sometimes one wonders if one should have revisited at all...whether it would have been better to have just kept one's memories!
ReplyDeleteI experience a similar experience myself. Now there are factories and warehouses behind my first home. The fields I played in, the pond I fished in and the trees I climbed all gone. But not forgotten
ReplyDeleteVisit Keith's Ramblings
The progress of time seems to steal those hidden beauties one remembers and yes it would bring a tear.
ReplyDeleteThe last stanza half-broke my heart. This kind of progress and I have never seen eye-to-eye. I always find myself missing what was way too much--the trees, the sand in my shoes, the nature, the wonderful memories... Yes, with "tears in my eyes".
ReplyDeletethe changes in our beloved places indeed saddens.and no place is safe from the clutches of change.
ReplyDeleteReally had me with this one at the line about the house built on sandy soil. This seems to be the guiding metaphor through the whole piece. Well done.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful place of heart. And so sad it has all been developed. Sigh. Your children must have had wonderful childhoods there. Sounds like the dog was happy too.
ReplyDeleteIt is so true we can never go home again....I have tried and it just felt like a foreign place....beautiful thoughts of special place in your memory now.
ReplyDeleteLovely title with a clear, full story that was heart felt.
ReplyDeleteOh, how it all changed.
I liked all the verses, but I related to the verse: Some pine trees grew there... It reminded me of a lake I once knew as a child. A place I often yearned to have revisited.
Thanks for sharing.
great memories!
ReplyDeleteMemories are often, bittersweet, and you've expressed that dichotomy beautifully, here. The close on this is so tender and moving.
ReplyDeleteA house bulit upon the sand, merely shift and flows, just like life I suppose.
ReplyDeletePacked full of houses
ReplyDeleteAnd tears in my eyes
The nostalgic journey back and getting to view the changes to the good old place can be most poignant and sad in a good way.
Hank
Really nice look back. I particularly luv how the nostalgia explodes in the last verse
ReplyDeleteThanks for dropping in at my Sunday Lime this week
Much love...
It's sad to return to a place we loved, to see it's been replaced. Glad you still have your memories which are so beautiful.
ReplyDeleteI think this has happened to us all, when reality comes knocking it shows us change and nothing is the same but our memories. Sad but true.
ReplyDelete