The House That Befriended Me Poem by John A'Hern

My last night in a house that befriended me
Confusing thoughts of leaving so many memories
Childhood into teenage years
It held me safe and warm
Always happy now times are sad
Standing in my bedroom saying farewells
Making speeches to invisible friends
I now visit each room in turn
Opening doors and saying goodbyes
Some I enter and breath the air
Some bring tears such good friends
Walking the garden admiring trees I climbed
An inner voice spoke of a challenge of mine
A door a cellar, concrete steps
Leading into the fear of darkness within
I stood before a door once stood at before
Shrugged my shoulders and lifted the latch
The usual sound as the door creaked open
Standing before darkness that frightened
Entering one step at a time
Be brave my inner voice said
Now standing at the bottom of the concrete steps
The silence was deafening the darkness surrounded
Coldness enveloped as if alive
I spoke a challenge into the gloom
Goodbye to you and my fear of this room
Imagination controlled, my bravery held its own
Turning to walk up steps I had ran up once before
One at a time leaving the darkness of this cellar
I even dared to look behind
I had defeated this fear of mine
The latch on the door made one last clanking noise
The echo seemed make the scene final
An evening of dreams waited patiently for me
Next morning's last look drained me as I walked away
A new address to head for at the end of this day
Another chapter presented, onward and upward