The House Leans Toward the Rising Sun (poetry)
a poem
The House Leans Toward the Rising Sun
a poem
Like a young tree,
it grasps for light that
peeks through the natural canopy above
it grasps for light that
peeks through the natural canopy above
Its roots
are sunken
deeper
into the
ground
than they
should be
are sunken
deeper
into the
ground
than they
should be
Some of the siding is missing,
washed away in a flood
washed away in a flood
A tall wooden staircase leads
up to the second floor,
but
a stair
is missing
and the staircase
hangs
from the landing above
up to the second floor,
but
a stair
is missing
and the staircase
hangs
from the landing above
The entire staircase
dips and creaks with weight
dips and creaks with weight
In the living area
on the second floor,
there are no windows or doors
in the spaces where
windows and doors should be
on the second floor,
there are no windows or doors
in the spaces where
windows and doors should be
Words echo
against the walls in the empty space
against the walls in the empty space
In one bedroom,
splinters hang from
the corner of a sill
splinters hang from
the corner of a sill
One window still has some jagged glass
coated thickly with gray and brown
coated thickly with gray and brown
In another room,
one of the walls is missing
one of the walls is missing
The roof and floor slant toward the ground
A frilly curtain
hangs from the window
hangs from the window
There is a doorway that leads to
what used to be the bathroom
what used to be the bathroom
There is no floor
There are no walls
The toilet leans against
the broken wall of the first floor below
and some rusted pipes
the broken wall of the first floor below
and some rusted pipes