The ground was frozen when we arrived at the manor 

Or it had been on the outskirts 

The castle grounds were thawed 

An anomaly nestled in the countryside 

 

Ivy snaked up the faded, crimson bricks 

Charming and sly 

The lawn was a sparkling field 

Impulsive wildflowers danced in the wind 

 

How marvellous the sight! 

We stayed, observing, for a year 

Though we’d have hardly known 

The sun shone perpetually upon us 

 

Cobwebs appeared between our fingers 

Our muscles ached from stillness 

Not a thing about the landscape changed! 

Picturesque and idyllic as an eternal summer’s day 

 

The wind shifted, and I began to grow suspicious 

The ivy, once delicate, was now hulking 

The wildflowers, once playful, were now impish 

How dreadful the sight! 

 

We retreated to the vehicle at once 

Took off around the bend and back towards the city 

The gas pedal slammed into the floor all the while 

Ages passed, and we did not remember our destination 

 

Hope became scarce until we crossed upon a graceful estate 

Wildflowers stretched whimsically towards the sun 

Ivy grew shyly over the windows 

We parked, enchanted, to observe