Open-plan..?

Posted on October 5, 2019 by Sue Vincent


When my son bought his house
It had not looked too bad…
A little outdated,
A little bit sad.

We’d stripped it all back
To the plaster and wood,
Then added some styling
Until it looked good.

But up out of sight
Where we hadn’t been seeking,
Unseen in the dark
Was a pipe that was leaking…

It took quite a while
Till it made itself known,
With damp and wet patches
From plaster all blown.

We called in a plumber
To fix it all…twice.
Then redecorated
To make it all nice.

The plumber, alas,
Had not done the job right,
And there was a crash
In the still of the night.

The cupboard had fallen,
The plaster was shot,
A quick job to fix again?
No, I think not…

He called the insurance,
Who said, with a frown,
“The plaster is rotten,
It has to come down…”

They took down a section,
“We’ll have to take more,
We’ve never seen woodwork
So rotten before…

‘Cause most of it crumbles
Like Cadbury’s Flake…
Unless we replace it,
The whole wall will break…”

They started the job
By removing the wall.
This open-plan living
Is no fun at all.

I don’t have a cooker
To cook my son’s meals,
He eats what I’ve frozen now,
Not what he feels…

The bathroom is open,
The workmen were drastic,
It’s all open-plan now
And wrapped up in plastic.

So cooking’s a chore now,
Ablutions? Informal…
They reckon three months
Till it’s all back to normal.

The moral, there had
To be one to this lark…
Is ‘never ignore
Tiny drips in the dark.’

 If left unattended,
Or under the plaster,
The smallest of problems
Can cause a disaster.

Unknown's avatar

About Sue Vincent

Sue Vincent was a Yorkshire born writer, esoteric teacher and a Director of The Silent Eye. She was immersed in the Mysteries all her life. Sue maintained a popular blog and is co-author of The Mystical Hexagram with Dr G.M.Vasey. Sue lived in Buckinghamshire, having been stranded there due to an accident with a blindfold, a pin and a map. She had a lasting love-affair with the landscape of Albion, the hidden country of the heart. Sue  passed into spirit at the end of March 2021.
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60 Responses to Open-plan..?

  1. Sadje's avatar Sadje says:
    October 5, 2019 at 17:17

    First of all; what a bummer. Secondly, your way of telling it is a poetic way is great. But it doesn’t lessen the botheration you guys are going through.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  2. bobcabkings's avatar bobcabkings says:
    October 5, 2019 at 17:48

    Wow! Nothing does a house (short of hurricanes and earthquakes) like a leaky pipe. 😦

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  3. joylennick's avatar joylennick says:
    October 5, 2019 at 18:03

    Oh, Sue! Commiserations to you both. How frustrating. It is as well that you can find some humour in the situation…You don’t deserve it. Do hope you find some top-class workmen to help out. xx.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  4. robbiesinspiration's avatar robbiesinspiration says:
    October 5, 2019 at 18:27

    I also know about the trials and tribulations of renovations, Sue. We also have a leak in our one bathroom and are going to have to pull out the tiles and the bath.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    • Sue Vincent's avatar Sue Vincent says:
      October 6, 2019 at 17:46

      As Nick only had his bathroom re-done last year, we are hoping this one wall will be it, though we have been warned about the possibility of them all having to come out.

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      Reply
  5. Mary Smith's avatar Mary Smith says:
    October 5, 2019 at 18:28

    Oh, no! Just when you were getting the outside work done! Wish I could send Nick (and you) some of my homemade lentil soup – excellent stuff for cheering up.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  6. Jacquie Biggar's avatar Jacquie Biggar says:
    October 5, 2019 at 18:48

    I had to laugh when you mentioned the open floor plan was ALL open, though it must be a pain in the you-know-what!
    Hopefully, 3 months was a conservative number and they get it done much sooner.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  7. Jaye Marie & Anita Dawes's avatar jenanita01 says:
    October 5, 2019 at 19:14

    Hope this gets sorted before the weather gets too cold. So unfair that this went unnoticed!

    Like

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  9. willowdot21's avatar willowdot21 says:
    October 5, 2019 at 19:22

    Oh! Sue is this all still going on 💜

    Like

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  11. Alexander Elliott's avatar Alexander Elliott says:
    October 6, 2019 at 01:31

    Loved your telling of the story, but so sorry for the hassle and expense. I would go crazy if my kitchen or bathroom were out of commission for three months!! If trials really make you stronger, you should be Superwoman by now…

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    Reply
  12. Marilyn Armstrong's avatar Marilyn Armstrong says:
    October 6, 2019 at 02:02

    It could make a really interesting lifestyle. Who needs walls anyway? But I suppose you always need closets.

    Like

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  13. Eliza Waters's avatar Eliza Waters says:
    October 6, 2019 at 02:22

    Oh, gosh, is this Nick’s? Good Lord, if it is not one thing, it is another. Didn’t the garden deck just get finished? Cosmic joke, indeed.

    Like

    Reply
  14. Daniel Kemp's avatar Daniel Kemp says:
    October 6, 2019 at 08:35

    I know the story shouldn’t but the rhyme makes me smile 🙂 🙂 🙂

    Like

    Reply
  15. Victoria Zigler (@VictoriaZigler)'s avatar Victoria Zigler (@VictoriaZigler) says:
    October 6, 2019 at 14:51

    Great poem, but sorry about the issues and the hastle while they get sorted.

    Like

    Reply
  17. dgkaye's avatar dgkaye says:
    October 7, 2019 at 02:43

    Good grief Sue, does it ever end with you and Nick’s house? The poem was lovely. it was the subject matter that was worrying. ❤

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