Of all the nooks
in this old ship of a house
nestled deep in the flora
I’ve just settled into
my favorite are the stairs
eleven birch, worn in and wide
lighting the way with whiteness
seashells down both sides

You can enter two ways
this maze of gates and doors
bamboo and wind chimes
I find my tall self a symphony
coming home from underdock
or the inn or the shack
sometimes the truth of home
becomes a matter of fact

Routines become life
more raw than old rope
a cup of coffee of course
a cigarette on the porch
the american flag everyone has
familiarity finds the cats too
wandering furry neighbors
this barrier zoo