Can you build a place half ruined?
Leave some of the rooms unfinished?
Carve a fort from Shropshire sandstone,
keep the windows soaring and wide
so the light pours into libraries
endless and stacked high.
With shelves and shelves of volumes.
Every room another genre
and books that never end
and cushioned seats to loose yourself in
so time becomes impotent
and each day is just that, a day,
and each night just darkening hours.
Leave the walls to fall into the gardens
running wild with cornflowers and daisies,
a vegetable patch behind the old well,
and orchards filled with plums and cherries,
pears, apples and damsons,
the trees old, huge and untamed,
perfect for climbing.
Can I build a place like that?
Sprawling and beautiful,
creeping and quiet,
a castle, a keep,
a place for words and gardens.
Tonight’s poetic challenge is to create a building with our poems. I hope you like my booky castle. If you want to share your own perfect building or just check out the other entries, then click the badge above to go to the wonderful Poets Pub.
Like this:
Like Loading...
Published by Carol J Forrester
Carol J Forrester is a writer and a history geek. Her debut collection 'It's All In The Blood' came out November 2019.
She has a 2:1 BA degree in history from Bath Spa University, enjoys judo at least twice a week, and tries to attend poetry events around the Midlands when she can.
Her flash fiction story ‘Glorious Silence’ was named as River Ram Press’ short story of the month for August 2014 and her short story ‘A Visit From The Fortune Teller’ has been showcased on the literary site Ink Pantry. Her poems ‘Sunsets’ and ‘Clear Out‘ were featured on Eyes Plus Words, and two of her poems were included in the DVerse Poets Pub Publication ‘Chiaroscuro’ which is available for purchase on amazon.Her poem ‘Until The Light Gets In‘ was accepted and published at The Drabble and her poem ‘Newborn’ was published by Ink Sweat & Tears.
She has been lucky enough to write guest posts for sites such as Inky Tavern and Song of The Forlorn and has hosted a number of guest bloggers on her site Writing and Works.
View all posts by Carol J Forrester
What a marvelous home this would be. I too grow damsons from which to make my own preserves. I’d like visiting your home.
Thank you. Unfortunately I don’t have space for a damson tree here. I’ve got a plum, pear and cherry ready for planting but I’ll have to retreat to my mum’s farm for the damsons. If I can make enough to one day buy my dream home I’ll have every fruit tree imaginable.
I love it. These frit trees were established when we bought the house. Several years ago I planted apple and cherry trees. They will be bearing fruit this year.
Well all the best for harvest then. I hope they do well.
That sounds like a nice home with gardens replacing walls. In the right climate that might be possible. Somehow to integrate plants more into the living space and library.
I’m trying to do something similar in my house at the moment. The sun room has patio doors onto the decking so I’m planning on building a pergola [fiancee will build it] and have as many pants on the patio as possible, with some of the less hardy ones in the sun room so that when you open the patio doors the two spaces become one.
Books and words and gardens. Oh, YES. Yes, please.
Haha, good to hear such enthusiasm.
‘So time becomes impotent’ – what a wonderful thought.
Thank you. I love that feeling where you’re so relaxed that you don’t need to worry about time moving past, you’re just enjoying what you’re doing.
I love this – a place for words and garden ~
Indeed. What more could you want from life?
That would make a gorgeous house! 🙂
Thank you, I’m really glad you think so.
Yes, you can! Lovely thoughts.
Thank you. Ruins always seem to attract me in a way that modern buildings cannot.
Yes words and gardens.
If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.
Marcus Tullius Cicero
Very true. I have my library, now I just need to finish my garden.
I love your house, Carol! A garden and a library is all I need but, I have to confess, I already have them! Your house would be perfect for Bjorn’s ageing librarian. 🙂
I’m glad you think so. I’m still in the middle of shaping my garden and library as we only moved in last June. I’ve got my seedlings in the propagator ready though.
Sounds perfect to me. It’s maybe not surprising that most of us seek the same surroundings,though each expresses it differently. I very much like your version.
Thank you. It’s been lovely to see a universal adoration for books and nature in the poems. You’re right that it’s not surprising, but it’s still heartwarming to be reminded.
I agree 🙂
Books and fruit trees. That’s all you need, really. I like the idea of building a ruin.
Thank you. I’ve always loved exploring old ruins, they always seem to have more personality.
Oh I could lose myself in that library!
Good to hear. I’m slowly working on turning every room in the house into a book haven but it has to be sneaky so the fiancee doesn’t notice.
If he’s not OK with it…are you sure he’s the right fiancee? lol
He certainly’s the one, he’s just not okay with every room being filled with books while his gym stuff is relegated to under the stairs.
“to loose yourself in so time becomes impotent”, that sound like a great place to live; a time machine. I need to lose a few decades or so. That would be better than plastic surgery. Just grab a book and let time slip past you
“Leave the walls to fall into the gardens”….especially love the freedom of this thought, the peaceful transition of inside to outside.
Thank you. That’s very much what I wanted to go for with this piece.