She said,
“Build me a house;
I’ll make it a home.”
A house with your heart
Windows to see
Inside and out
A fire
Always burning
An open door
Welcoming
Warmth
From the earth
The walls will breathe
The ceiling will sing
The floor will move
With tears
With laughter
With joy
And pain
A beautiful picture
Broken in places
Carefully mended
With tape
And love
And longing
A slow dance
Through the hall
To the bedrooms
Comfort
And lullabies
The touch of each other
A hand on hand
And legs wound
Together
The stairs
Each step
Designed
For sliding
As well as
Ascending
Toward the attic
A complicated room
Old toys and sad sweaters
And skeletons
Rattling
Like morbid chimes
Summoning the most macabre
Faeries
A light bulb that flickers
Every attic should have
A window seat
With a worn red
Velvet cushion
To sit and ponder
This house
This home
Your heart