From Within the Walls.

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My dreams came true when we bought this house;
Our house. Where we could live our life as man and wife
Until we grew old and bald. Cosy and content,
Safe in our nest surrounded by peace and far from strife,
Except for the scritch-scratch from within the walls.

My attempts to catch our unwelcome house guest
Only ended in failure. I laid poison and set traps
Under the stairs, in the pantry and the hall. You
Said to relax and sit with you or our marriage could collapse.
Except, I heard only the scritch-scratch from within the walls.

My patience was exhausted and I exhorted
Only when this rodent’s dead will I have time for you!
Unsurprisingly, you fled home to your mother in tears.
Still I was obsessed with what I had to do;
Exorcising the scritch-scratch from within the walls.

My boss called to say I was fired for staying
Off to catch this beast. I didn’t care. I ripped
Up the floor and tore down the ceilings,
Searching for the creature to put in its crypt.
Except the scritch-scratch continued from within the walls.

Meaning business, I took a bulldozer to the walls of
Our house. Then, as the police crowded round me, I burned the rubble,
Uttering foul words against the critter. It’s comfortable in this
Sanatorium that you committed me to for my trouble.
Except I think I can hear a scritch-scratch from within the walls.