Ours is a house

​ours is a house of books
bound in leather and cardboard and cloth
stacked on windowsills, bookshelves and stairs
treatises, comics and tomes
atlases, leaflets and box sets
books with stories and fables and myth
books on thinking and science and truth
cookery, poems and art
and books on the binding of books

ours is a house of rooks
and castles and knights and pawns
monopoly money and scrabbled words
trivia quizzes, cluedo and chess
played with varying skill 
and faltering will
joyful and playful and cruel
no prisoners taken
no mercy shown
stomping off and air punched
and alwyas another round

ours is a house of looks
fiery, furtive and flirty
looks that might kill
and looks that invite
looks to keep still
and looks to ignite
looks like a tough one
looks like it's late
and it looks like it's going to rain

ours is a house of nooks
and crannies and niches and alcoves
wardrobes to hide in
and beds to crawl under
as the count is aprroaching one hundred
our long lost uncle 
whent hide and seek 
nearly a decade ago
his winning streak lasts to this day

ours is a house of cooks
happily spoiling the broth
instant noddles and elaborate soups
TV dinners and slow-roast meat
family gatherings
dinner dates
occasional vegans and special occasions
christmases new years and birthdays
and always room for one more
helping or unannounced guest