AucklandPoetry.com presents Poet Resident JAN OSKAR HANSEN on http://OSKAR.AUCKLANDPOETRY.COM

Monday, March 17, 2008

settling of scores

Settling of Scores


My house had been empty for a long time no one came
here and that suited me fine I’ve got everything I need,
by looking out of the windows I can see life passing by.
Then it all changed a youngish couple moved in, totally
ignoring me, after all I’m the owner of this house, but
what could I do, I’m ancient and no one listens to us old
people any longer unless we are royalty or presidents
As my irritation grew I took to screaming, till the woman
said; “Did you hear that Fred? “What?” “That voice, like
someone is trying to speak to us. “Nonsense,” the taciturn
Fred said. In the night pictures took to falling on the floor,
Fred blamed it on tiny earthquakes. I got angry and threw
objects hard across the room when they were out… and
they blamed their little dog, which was my secret friend.
But the night when I stroked Linda’s hair till she woke up
screaming telling her husband that she wouldn’t stay in this
house a minute more, I had won. No one lives here now
save for me, locals say the home is haunted, suits me fine.
There are children outside they are here to feel deliciously
scared by knocking on my door, it amuses me think how
shocked they will be if I, one day, opened up and said Hi!

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