The House That Listened

You said

"I'm fine

" by the hallway shelf

But the doorway knew you lied

Floorboard creaked like it bit its tongue

As you hurried up to hide

Kitchen tiles held the weight you dropped

When you read your sister's name

In that envelope by the coffee stains

The fridge hummed along with your shame

This is the house that listened

Every sigh

Every slammed drawer

Every midnight "I'm so tired of this"

Muffled through the bathroom door

It kept your secrets in the drywall

In the dust on the window sills

Yeah

The house that listened

Is the only one that knows you still

Staircase knew when you skipped three steps

Just to dodge your father's eyes

Porch light flickered the first time he left

Like it couldn't say goodbye

Closet air still tastes like the smoke

You swore you'd quit last June

That old fan watched you rehearse your smile

For the mirror

Not the room

This is the house that listened

Every laugh that cracked halfway

Every "sure

I'm happy for you"

Swallowed at your best friend's wedding day

It kept your wishes in the rafters

Your regrets in the window sills

Yeah

The house that listened

Is the only one that knows you still

You turned the key for the last time

Said

"It's just wood and stone" (just stone)

But the hallway echoed softly back

"You were never that alone"

This is the house that listened

To the names you never spoke

To the prayers you didn't believe in

Drifting with the shower smoke

It keeps your ghost in the doorway

All your colours

All your guilt

Yeah

The house that listened

Is the only one that loves you still