Realty, Reality, One to Go, One to Keep
1. Craigslist, Zillow, Homes.com
The house on the road named for an ex-
where sewer and drinking water reside too close.
Grand old beach house inn
where the poorer Kennedys
spent their summers.
The house of eight gables,
new and old cobbled together
unnailed moldings balanced perfection.
The hallway house, stretched
end on end on a windowless
water view. The fireman=s hazard,
a tiny Victorian crammed with stuff.
The house on the flood plain.
The one we saw too late.
All the ones fallen on their knees
praying for a handyman=s touch.
2. Brokering
Carry a concave mirror,
gather images, water, dust.
Fear the stumble, the spill.
Craft signs that disappear
as I write them, scissored
between light and silence.
Entertain possibility—
use a pencil. Graphite
lubricates the cog repetition
of spirograph daisies.
A good eraser
can make almost new.
Bury St. Joseph on his head,
though it seems naughty.
Stained glass affects my vision,
bleb becomes El GrecoB
it's all art, baby.
The deal eats dreams,
shits reality.
3. The Show
She would soften the edges.
He would build a boat ramp.
She would hang feeders,
watch for hummingbirds.
He would fill all of the storage space.
She would sit at the kitchen table
with hot chocolate, romance novels.
He looks at the circuit breakers.
They go outside, gather the brokers.
Where will the big screen TV go?
The 24 foot cabin cruiser, two SUV's,
couch like a battleship, an office suite,
decks, patios, terraces....
There will be another showing at three o=clock.
4. Offer to Purchase
We agree that we would like to
take you to the prom, however,
should we find a girl with a prettier dress,
negotiations reopen. You understand
what the lawyer didn=t say.
5. From Across the Room
You can fall in love,
live with yourself living,
want to gamble, edge
an oblique angle, a sideways
look. Abacus fingers
meet the other hand
in silent prayer.
You could wake here
and sleep, breathe the rhythm
of the daily round of rooms,
be satisfied with foundation and roof line.
6. What Once Was Now Is Too
Boxes fill. Empty rooms echo.
Boxes empty, fill rooms, echo
fades. You will remember the sound
of the latch, the key as it slips
into the new front door.
Plumb new angles of light,
untangle old wiring, build shelves
for more books, plant a tree.
Be the same as you were
only different. Now you are home.