Challenge Of The Doors Poem by John A'Hern

House surrounded by stonewalls
Cast Iron Gate guarding it all,
Entrance steps lay before you
Quite challenging, do not enter slowly.

Darkness makes them quite forbidding
Do not walk them, run like the wind,
Front door reached, always locked
Mother keeps key in her apron pocket.

The challenge of the doors starts today
Open each one and peek inside,
Some accessed for the first time.
Kitchen and a large front room,

Front room empty and uninviting
Stand at the bottom of a spiral staircase
Pass on by, it can wait until tomorrow.
Past a door that seems to invite

Shake your head, not ready for this fight,
Door after door stands there waiting.
Backyard and gardens beckoning,
Playing area until Mother asks for quiet.

Then a scullery for doing chores
Small rooms used in days of old,
Rows of bells and hooks hang from ceilings.
One for storing the other for attention

Discovered switches that needed testing
Bells were rung as each was pressed,
Servants and maids once answered their calling
Another day beckons the upstairs challenge.

Bedroom after bedroom all quite boring,
worn out from the door adventure
Tomorrow arrives, you stand before the cellar door
What is housed here never known?

Hand on latch makes loud clanking noise
Afraid of the dark yet it draws you in,
Hands unable to be seen in front
Coldness sets off imagination.

Unknown weight upon your person
Turning to leave this dark cellar
Stumbling up steps showing fear.

Never look back, always remembered,
Closed the door never to re-enter.
Would you return there?
You do but it no longer exists.