The wood grains
of too many
homes
are painted over
in thick acrylic.
In the yard
the browning
follicles of grass
are dyed
with fertilizer.
While inside,
the nourishing
plumbing
and wires
are hidden beneath
smooth drywall.
The true house
is sometimes
only visible
after the years
have worn away
the facade.
-R. L. Jackson
As the house you described, i guess authenthicity is receding more and more in our modern world
ReplyDeleteHappy Wednesday Rob
Much🌼love
Unfortunately I have to agree. Thanks for the comment.
DeleteNicely done! The metaphor truly works for me, and leads me to think: What if this house was battered by storm? What would I need first to build it up again--exactly what now lies hidden.
ReplyDeleteI think you are creating another follow up poem. What if weather and stress accelerate the decay of the facade? And yes, can it be repaired, and do we want it to be? Thank you!
DeleteBrilliant use of metaphor here!❤️
ReplyDeleteA true thought about, papering over the cracks...Nothing is as it seems..
ReplyDeleteYes, thank you!
DeleteSo true. It can be the same with humans, too. Smiles.
ReplyDeleteI was hoping that point would come through. Thank you!
DeleteLove the wise last part
ReplyDeleteThe true house is sometimes only visible after the years have worn away the facade.
Our den is paneled in oak - the thick real kind, not the thin cheap stuff. My mother in law said the room would be much brighter if we painted over it. 20 years later, the oak remains unpainted. My husband and I said, bah.
ReplyDeleteHah! There's another poem in your story. Thank you!
Delete"The true house
ReplyDeleteis sometimes
only visible
after the years
have worn away
the facade."---Most of the time this happens. Appearance rules the world. Beautifully put.
Yes, it appears so. Thank you!
DeleteSometimes the facade falls away and sometimes it lasts forever. A very good metaphor you created here.
ReplyDeleteYes and thank you!
DeleteAn old house shows it's battle scars as well as its flaws that bare to haunt. Let's hope that the battle scars win out.
ReplyDelete..
And those old houses, or people, can have so much beauty, finally revealed
ReplyDeleteThe true house
ReplyDeleteis sometimes
only visible
after the years
have worn away
the facade.
That is the reality of the present times. They don't make them the way they did before. Accurate observation, Rob!
Hank
Oh so true.. very well said...true of people and lives too!
ReplyDelete