The Halls of the Forgotten

The Halls of the Forgotten

Peacocks and hens strutting around in superiority

As if the challenge of our presence was an insult

Wandering between picnic tables seeking crumbs

Becoming braver by the minute and closer

I sense my cornetto ice cream has been espied

Their diet now extends beyond seeds and corn

In the background are the remains of a hall

The magnificence in stone is now a ghost in ruins

Names are to be found in the history of wealth

Though how the fortunes changed is mystery

Now only the skeleton of a stately home remains

The Italian influences show around the stone

Holding the secrets of more glorious times

A hall where nobles once sat and feasted

Lies cold and bare the tapestries are gone

No more shall minstrels play upon their lutes

The long gallery where her ladyship did walk

Now open to the heavens only the walls remain

Rooms ravaged by the storms over years

Ceilings collapsed with plaster strewn on floors

Windows that survived covered with dirt

An aged beauty decaying from lack of love

Beyond the hall keen eyes can search

To see the foundations of the village

Removed because an owner disliked the view

These sites that draw me to them each year

To see the glimpse of a past preserved

Stone and mortar are the memory we have

But hidden within the walls are stories untold

The lives of those in the halls of the forgotten

Whose tales would surely add interest to the scene

Copyright: David Hopcroft December 2025

The Little House 1

The Little House 1

The house stood beyond an avenue of lime trees

Atop a small hill that overlooked a sleepy village

The storm of years gone by had taken a toll

Windows were broken and the roof leaking

Paint was flaking and mortar needed repointing

The owners had withdrawn to occupy a few rooms

Where the West wing showed signs of repair

After their passing away the house might have fallen

There were no heirs and so much work needed

There appeared a FOR SALE sign on the avenue

To the villagers surprise the property soon sold

Fears then grew about the future of the hall

Rumours spread about building a housing estate

What might be the effect upon a sleepy village

Heavy trucks rolling through the narrow roads

Suddenly scaffolding began to appear on the house

The rumours subsided but the curiosity grew

A care home perhaps or the home of a rock star

Inside new owners were going from room to room

Where wallpaper was peeling lights vandalised

Discarded needles and syringes in a bedroom

Yet so much of the structure remained intact

The furniture had been sold to cover debt

They wondered what the hall had looked like

In all of the grandeur at the height of fame

When all those around knew the family name

Horse-drawn carriages clattering along the avenue

Each hall that they viewed seemed unique

They searched past records but this hall was old

Built years before photography was invented

How could they restore this hall to its prime

They nearly gave up but then by chance

The key to the success of their project was found

Deep below the house in storage underground

The old house still held some secrets of its past

But this finding left the new owners aghast

Copyright: David Hopcroft August 2025