OLD MAN GARRITY'S HOUSE

This is not a fairy tale. It is a scary tale.

This is a tale that will scare you a bit,

it's about a rickety old house built near a pit,

the house belonged to old man Garrity,

who didn't believe in banks or parity. 

He threw all his garbage into the fathomless hole, 

everything from paper, plastic and whatever he stole, 

if a pet ended up missing and never could be found, 

more than likely it was hurled into the opening of the ground. 

The house and its lofty attic stood three stories tall, 

over the years it kept leaning as if it was ready to fall, 

the structure kept creaking and moaning for years,

it gave the neighbors shudders and fears. 

On its porch there were three rocking chairs, 

they were known to rock by themselves raising some hairs,

sometimes in the evening cloudy shapes could be seen, 

looking like women from long ago if your eyes were keen. 

On a windy day the residents nearby heard a thunderous crash,

Old man Garrity's house fell into the pit as if it was trash,

along with him buried under the pit of rubble, 

and he disappeared forever with all his strange trouble. 

This eerie story is not quite over for there is more to tell, 

on the anniversary of the destruction a sound of a bell, 

peals throughout the street reminding all of the odd event, 

that occurred on that infamous day and what it meant. 

Reviews

[GreenShoes]

Ooh-Hoo, I love that description! :)))
You're a fantastic storyteller/poetess, Sonia!
I only have one problem with them poem, and that's the last three words. I don't quite understand the hidden meaning behind the event. But I know when writing poetry, we are often steered in a direction not necessary of our intent, just to accommodate a rhyme scheme. Overall, though, loved it. :)

[barleygirl]

Very imaginative & with a spooky pall that makes it a delight for readers who enjoy a slightly-bleak message! This actually resembled the house I was born in, almost 60 years ago . . . we had a well under the house that was caving in the house, as well. We kids were warned to stay away from a certain corner in the living room, which built up pure craziness in the imaginations of kids. Your story does that same thing . . . building up a sense of bizarre, yet also well-told in a clear & linear fashion. I definitely prefer straightforward messages & your storytelling in verse is slamming.

[Jason Damstra]

Overall a very cute poem that is, unfortunately hampered in part by a few of the lines verbosity. In a way this detracts from the quirky eerie feel of the piece. Otherwise spot on with your language use and its a delightful read! Great job :D