Once Upon A Time

Once - she was a happy house.
A bright red door. Green shutters. A fire always burning in her hearth.

In the winter - her front porch was stacked high with wood.
In summer - that same porch was filled with color.

There were children playing.
Dogs barking.

A little farther out - the cows grazed alongside the chickens and goats and sheep.

I couldn't help but imagine.
Another time. Another day.

She's just a house? Or - is she the keeper of family stories?

On this day when the day's news is just too unbearably sad.
I think - once upon a time.
She was a happy house.
Wasn't she?