It took the village to raise me

They all came some in buggies some who walked

But it took the strong men of the village to raise me

And when I was raised they were happy

Especially the man in black and the young woman in white

And when the village went away they kissed beneath my roof

It was the man and his family who filled me with animals and hay

They hung crops from my eves to dry

I’d give shelter to the chickens who scurried about my floors

And at night the cows conversed about how it’s greener in other fields

The young one came a year later the woman carried her about

She said “this is your barn” I suppose that was my name

The village said it was when they raised me

The young one grew and chased the chickens round inside of me

I was her favorite place to play

When she was less young she was beautiful

One day she brought a boy to meet me

She said “this is my barn” and they giggling kissed beneath my roof

He wore black tinted glasses on his eyes and slicked his hair back with a comb

I was happy to meet him he was different

One night the man took the boy to see me

He sat him down to talk then they started yelling

The young one ran in crying and begged them to stop

I didn't see the boy after that night

But the young one sat on my hay and leaned on my wall, she cried that night

And it got cold but she did not leave me I was happy to comfort her

She fell asleep in me that night and the woman brought her blankets

But it was very cold and she must have been very tired

Because she didn't get up when the man brought her breakfast

And he quietly carried her away from me brushing the hair away from her pail face

I never saw the young one again the woman never came to see me anymore either

When I was raised she was happy but now she’d stand outside me and cry

Eventually I suppose she was done crying and never saw her again

Nor did I hear her whimpering voice say once again “my poor baby”

I didn’t know what a baby was but it seems they bring sadness so didn't want one

The man came to me one day like most days but this time he didn't come to get tools

He just sat on my hay and stared at my eves and closed his eyes

the man stayed there for a very long time till his family took him away

I never saw the man again …

I sat empty for a long time the man’s family took the animals and tools and closed my doors

My only friends now are the mice and rats and the owl that wants to know my name

I tried to tell her my name is Barn but she did not speak squeaking hinge

More different people came to visit me once long after

At first I didn't like them they spooked my friends the rats and my friend the owl left

They said I was abandoned and haunted and I liked the way they spoke

I don’t know what that means but I was happy to see them because they reminded me of the boy

They giggling spent the night telling stories about how an Amish man had murdered a boy

So his family died because the barn was cursed

I don’t know what “murdered” or “cursed” meant

But being cursed brought me visitors so I liked being cursed

They played hide and go seek in my loft and hay bails till one of them found a rusty nail

And was carried off in hysterics whimpering something about the barn giving them tetanus

I didn't know what “tetanus” was but I was happy to share

I didn't see them again after that

I've been alone again with my friend the owl who wants to know my name just her and the rats

She’s eaten all the mice I tried to tell her not to eat my friends but she doesn't speak groaning roof

I am not the same barn I was when they raised me

I don’t make people smile and nobody kisses under my roof

It took a village to raise me and a family to keep me up

Just the right gust of wind now I fear is all it takes to knock me down

But I am happy because I was raised