What would the walls of your home say?
A home sale that had been in the same family for 64 years got Susan thinking - if only walls could talk, what would they say? A poem, a reflection on creative writing, and an invitation to try it yourself.
I've been a little quiet over the summer when it comes to updates and blogs. We will be starting again in September and sharing more information, advice and experiences of moving in later life.
In the meantime I couldn't help but share this. I was speaking to a colleague of mine the other day about a home sale that completed this week. The home had been in the same family for 64 years and she commented that the house must have been full of memories. 'If only walls could talk' was my response. And it got me thinking.
What if they could? What would those walls say?
I had an urge to write a poem about it:
If only walls could talk. What would they say?
Walls that have been painted, papered and then painted again Walls that have been the backdrop for drawings and childhood posters Walls that have been splashed with water, wine and goodness knows what else!
If only walls could talk. What would they say?
Walls that have heard the private conversations Walls that have heard the tears, laughter, raised voices, and silence Walls that have seen loved ones come, and loved ones go
If only walls could talk. What would they say?
Walls that have held up roofs and even been knocked down Walls that have been rewired and replastered - or not! Walls that are so much more than bricks and mortar
If only walls could talk. What would they say?
The power of creative writing
This then got me thinking. Some clients I speak to feel 'stuck' and find it difficult to navigate the idea of leaving the current home - for various reasons - some of which they simply can't articulate. Perhaps they don't have words for how they are feeling, perhaps they are struggling to process how they are feeling, perhaps they just don't want to talk about it. All of which is understandable.
What if writing a poem could help? Would writing a poem about what the walls of their home would say to them if only they could speak be helpful? Would the walls share memories, would they impart wisdom, would they provide comfort? Could the poem act as a conversation - a way of unlocking what can't be said?
It is well known that creative writing can help to process emotions, gain clarity, and express things that we perhaps don't have language for or aren't able to say out loud. The act of writing from another voice (the walls) can also be really useful to externalise what might be going on, which can help with being objective and being kinder to ourselves and less judgemental with our 'stuckness'.
An invitation
If you think this might be a useful exercise for you please do give it a go. Your poem doesn't need to rhyme, it doesn't need to follow any format at all. You could start with 'If the walls of my home could talk what would they say?' and see what comes up. Whatever feels right for you.
Or perhaps try freefall writing. Set a timer for 3 minutes or 5 minutes and keep writing until the timer stops. Don't stop writing to think or re-read what you've written, just keep writing, even if you end up writing 'I'm not sure what to write next' - just keep writing. This can be a really useful technique to get past our logical brain and to just see what we end up writing about - it may surprise you.
As always I value your feedback and experiences. If you do give this a go I'd love to know what your experience was - was it helpful or not, did the poem or text you wrote surprise you? Was it easy or hard? And of course if you'd like to share your poem or writing I would love to read it.
You can get in touch with me here.
Susan, Founder of Turners Oak
