That House on Maple Drive

By Hailey L. Parkinson

That house on Maple Drive is far too big for the
Elderly couple who lives inside.
The lawn is too hefty of a task for them to accomplish;
The neighbor’s boy mows it for them instead.
They thank him with excellent baking skills, gifting him with treats.
They’re always making something;
Pies, brownies, cookies, and chocolates.
Spoiling their neighbors with charity and kindness
As grandparents would to their grandkids.
The windows are draped with curtains of sea foam blue
Along with shutters that always remain open,
Welcoming anyone who would like to stop by.
Sunflowers grow in their backyard
Within a wilted garden in the far-left corner.
Shaky hands and blinded eyes can only take care of so much.
The walls are decorated with family pictures that are at least
A decade old.
Oh, how those kids have grown.
The color scheme within their décor
Masks over the emptiness of that home.
Half of their hearts reside in Nebraska and California,
Tearing them apart.
Those toy rooms assigned for boys and girls,
Who now make their way in adult lives,
Remain vacant.
Endless chests of toys never to be played with.
They babysit the neighbor’s kids
So that the toys don’t get lonely.
So that they don’t get lonely,
In that house on Maple Drive.

Author Bio

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