If I Could Build A House
If I could build a house
I would build one not for mine
A house of warmth for those in the cold
Sprawled on the streets, no one to hold
A house of strength for those who are weakened
No mortar or bombs can ruin again
A house of light that beams in the night
For the lost and weary to cast away their fright
A house of love for the lonely and hopeless
Who threw away trust and second chances
A house of peace for the hate-filled heart
Who’s trying to keep from falling apart
If I could build a house in a snap of fingers
I would build a home for each rat that lingers.
© 2017 Maria. All Rights Reserved.
In response to dVerse’s Tuesday Poetics: DIY Building by our guest host, Sara McNulty.
Your challenge for today is to imagine that you have been given free rein to design any type of building you wish. What would your building look like?
Banksy is back with a brand new project called “The Walled Off Hotel,” where people can literally sleep inside this work of art. Located in Bethlehem, Palestine it offers the ‘worst view in the world’ with windows overlooking the controversial barrier wall that separates the West Bank from Israel territory. The image above is one of the wall decorations in the room. Banksy is <3.
Head over here to join the fun:
DoodleScribbles 
March 8, 2017 at 12:02 pm
If i could build a house too i would build it just the way you wished it to be..
Filled with so much hope and love for humanity..well done Maria
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March 9, 2017 at 8:37 pm
Thank you, Mich! Lately I’ve been feeling extremely drawn to the current news… sigh. How I wish we could build it this way..
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March 9, 2017 at 8:44 pm
We can only wish for now Maria..😊
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March 8, 2017 at 12:16 pm
Oh wow. 💖
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March 8, 2017 at 12:16 pm
Good answer, my friend.
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March 9, 2017 at 8:37 pm
Thank you, Sarah 😊
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March 10, 2017 at 1:51 am
Of course!
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March 8, 2017 at 12:20 pm
This is a thought-provoking poem, Maria. If we could only fix the world in this way.
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March 9, 2017 at 8:39 pm
Thank you, Sara.. it was your prompt that sparked the idea. So thank you. 🙂
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March 8, 2017 at 12:59 pm
Maria this was beautiful to read and you have such compassion and hope – I love the structure you have in your heart, its solid against the evil of this world, it only always takes one person to make a difference and here you did.
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March 9, 2017 at 8:47 pm
This is the very least that I could do to aide our ailing, lovely world. I do hope the words will turn to reality, maybe one day. ❤
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March 9, 2017 at 8:51 pm
me too, we live in hope together
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March 8, 2017 at 1:15 pm
If we could fashion the world with compassion it would be great…
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March 9, 2017 at 8:48 pm
Yes, indeed Bjorn. Yes, indeed.
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March 8, 2017 at 1:24 pm
The best house is one built for others even the rat that lingers.
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March 9, 2017 at 8:49 pm
Wouldn’t it makes this world quieter and more peaceful? How I wish..
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March 8, 2017 at 1:43 pm
Awww…this touches my heart. What a wonderful house to build. Way to go, Maria. ❤
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March 9, 2017 at 8:59 pm
Shall we build slowly through our words, Fun? Thank you, I am happy to hear from you. ❤
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March 10, 2017 at 9:12 am
Sure! I’m so glad to read your words again. ❤
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March 8, 2017 at 1:47 pm
This is such a heartfelt and so kind and so sincere answer to the prompt dear. ❤ love every line and the love tucked between the. ❤
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March 10, 2017 at 12:44 pm
Thank youuuuu dearie!! Here’s to peace and love! ❤
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March 13, 2017 at 10:24 am
cheers! 😀 ❤
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March 8, 2017 at 2:01 pm
Here is someone who is filled with compassion and love right to the brim 🙂 This poem is testimony to it ❤️
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March 9, 2017 at 8:51 pm
Thank you, Nj.. Same goes for you. ❤
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March 8, 2017 at 4:17 pm
A compassionate and philanthropic house, Maria, which sounds like the place to be.
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March 9, 2017 at 8:55 pm
Thank you, Kim. 😊 It is indeed a place to be… though I know words wouldn’t be enough.
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March 8, 2017 at 6:58 pm
Thank you for reminding us that beauty is one thing, practicality is more pressing.
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March 9, 2017 at 8:56 pm
My pleasure, Jane. It’s the least that I could do..
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March 8, 2017 at 8:42 pm
Beautiful! Maybe not in the snap of a finger. ..but spread love brick by brick!
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March 9, 2017 at 9:00 pm
Brick by brick.. i love that. And I will do so. Thank you, Bryan 😁
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March 9, 2017 at 2:30 am
Great words Maria and I love the take on Banksy’s Artwork. The last two lines are priceless.
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March 9, 2017 at 9:05 pm
It’d be great to visit his hotel, don’t you think D? And I’m so glad you liked those last lines as much as I do. Banksy loves to use rats in his graffiti to represent the marginalized poor and I just have to add them. ❤
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March 10, 2017 at 12:15 am
I would love to visit any place that displayed his work Maria. There is so much meaning in his paintings 🙂
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March 10, 2017 at 12:34 pm
I agree. A lot of his works are in UK, hopefully they are still preserved. 🙂
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March 10, 2017 at 9:16 pm
I am going to hunt them down Maria and maybe write some poetry about them 🙂
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March 9, 2017 at 5:12 am
Ah! the inspiration fuels the soul and your work is a promising brilliance and achievement. Love this so much.
Banksy is a hero. 🙂
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March 10, 2017 at 12:19 pm
He is indeed, my friend. And glad you liked this as much as I do. 🙂
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March 11, 2017 at 3:10 am
Very much so. Gosh, I miss reading you. 🙂
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March 12, 2017 at 8:40 am
So do I reading yours. Hope life’s treating you better than mine. It’s a busy month here.. 😅
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March 9, 2017 at 7:34 am
OK, loved almost the entire work. Just can’t imagine building homes for wayward rats, except perhaps for Rizzo. But it is a truly noble sentiment
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March 10, 2017 at 12:25 pm
Haha! Thank you, Walt. Perhaps, the anthropomorphize meaning is more likely noble. 🙂
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March 9, 2017 at 8:14 am
I like your take on this, maria.
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March 10, 2017 at 12:26 pm
Thank you, De!
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March 9, 2017 at 8:40 am
I love your response Maria and Banksy is one of my favorite artist too ~ This is my favorite part:
A house of strength for those who are weakened
No mortar or bombs can ruin again
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March 10, 2017 at 12:28 pm
Thank you! Glad to hear that, Grace. ❤ This world needs more Banksy, don't you think? 🙂
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March 9, 2017 at 10:41 am
Beautiful writing both sad and written with a desire to help people in need more. We can do as much as we can do, how much we choose but it would be a wonderful thing for every displaced person in life to have a place that was a true home in every sense of the word.
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March 10, 2017 at 12:29 pm
I echo your thoughts, Mandi. The lease we could do is to start with ourselves and offer what we can. Have a lovely day, dear.
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March 10, 2017 at 12:57 pm
You too 🙂
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March 10, 2017 at 4:41 pm
This is so wonderful Maria, every single line, resonates with me. Ohh how I wish we could
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March 10, 2017 at 10:07 pm
*sighs* If only we can heal the world!
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March 13, 2017 at 9:23 pm
A house built from Heart…beautiful.
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March 16, 2017 at 7:39 pm
This is amazing!! I love it.
Thanks to Davy D’s poem leading me here 🙂
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March 16, 2017 at 10:22 pm
Glad to hear that, Vanessa! And happy to meet you here. I should thank Davy! 😊
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March 16, 2017 at 10:41 pm
Nice to meet you too!
And I love the link to the hotel…how fascinating. Brilliant!
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March 16, 2017 at 10:04 pm
Such a telling image for such meaningful words. An impressive poem, maria. I am now a Follower.
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March 20, 2017 at 7:41 pm
Hello, Roland! Thank you so much for the kind words. Banksy does triggers the philanthropist in me. It’s a delight to meet you through Davy too. 🙂
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