Ruins of Houses

Ruins of Houses

In the shattered ruins of abandoned houses,
Lie secret notes on scraps of paper,
Tucked beneath the mossy stones,
Silent questions to be buried under falling needles,
Hopes and fears unanswered in the rough pine forest,
The cairn of broken plates and white clay pipes,
The thick round pot rims, orange and smooth,
Marking the commitment to the woodlice,
Of the lonely pain.

By Ruairí de Barra.

Not all childhood memories are good.
A lot can be left unsaid in mid the forests and the wilds.

Published in ‘Live Encounters’ September 2018. You can read the four poems on the Live Encounters website or download a free .pdf copy just by clicking here.

Live Encounters is a wonderful publication and all of its issues, as well as special editions, may be found on its website at https://liveencounters.net/

I would like to thank Mark Ulyseas for seeing fit to include my work in the company of some incredibly talented people.

The image above is by Val Robus, who is a Social Media manager, photographer, and features writer. She is passionate about Sligo and Ireland and she is also very interested in adventures, food, exploring and events for both tourists and locals to enjoy.
You can find her blog here.
You can find her on twitter @magnumlady