Empty House

no sounds from within
no conversations
no laughing
no singing
no crying
an occasional creak as the frame changes with the weather
walls which once were a smart stage set for a family's drama
are now only plaster and paint
dumb

the crunch of tires on gravel
the windows tremble slightly in anticipation
the ancient lock turns slowly
click
sounds within
conversations
laughing
chirps of surprise
cries of delight

they'll be back
and the play will re-open
and the house will live again
and the sounds will echo
down hallways
in bedrooms
and kitchens
as it should be
as the house lives again