Ghost House.

 

I dwell in a lonely house I know
That vanished many a summer ago,
   And left no trace but the cellar walls,
   And a cellar in which the daylight falls,
And the purple-stemmed wild raspberries grow.

O’er ruined fences the grape-vines shield
The woods come back to the mowing field;
   The orchard tree has grown one copse
   Of new wood and old where the woodpecker chops;
The footpath down to the well is healed.

I dwell with a strangely aching heart
In that vanished abode there far apart
   On that disused and forgotten road
   That has no dust-bath now for the toad.
Night comes; the black bats tumble and dart;

The whippoorwill is coming to shout
And hush and cluck and flutter about:
   I hear him begin far enough away
   Full many a time to say his say
Before he arrives to say it out.

It is under the small, dim, summer star.
I know not who these mute folk are
   Who share the unlit place with me—
   Those stones out under the low-limbed tree
Doubtless bear names that the mosses mar.

They are tireless folk, but slow and sad,
Though two, close-keeping, are lass and lad,—
   With none among them that ever sings,
   And yet, in view of how many things,
As sweet companions as might be had.

 

Ghost House

Robert Frost 1915

Comments

[Teresa in California]

Robert Frost is one of my most favorite poets. I wish there were more poets like him. Poetry is an art in itself and I am always intrigued when authors incorporate their own poems within a story line. Like the Sorting Hat in the Harry Potter books always had some prosy sing-songy introduction to each school year.
The ghost house photo reminds me of an abandoned house up in Northern Washington on one of the islands; it may have been at Friday Harbor. The poem is perfect for the photo...nice choice.

[Lindsay]

What talent he had in creating a place through words! Thank you for sharing this...it's been awhile since I've read this one!

[Jill James]

"Those stones out under the low-limbed tree
Doubtless bear names that the mosses mar....."

We will all have our names on stones one day.

Autumn is so bittersweet......