House In The Country

It was hardly a gingerbread house.

We knew that.

Only the roof was gingerbread colour.

And the old woman living there

was no more a witch

than the raindrops

hanging

from the trees

were really diamonds.

We knew that.

Even though 

she said that they were.

And she gave us candy bars.

Surely no witch would be so kind

to children who were not lost.

But later 

we watched them dig up her garden

and smelled the flesh

and saw the bones. 

Now we know.

We knew nothing

before.

And after

nature reclaimed it’s space

so the house stands empty

and no one else remembers 

an old woman

still

only

the raindrops remain

frozen in time

hard 

as diamonds

soft 

as tears.

Still

we don’t know

why.

http://www.bewilderingstories.com/issue991/house_country.html