i.
i built a temple of devotion
my heart laid in offering
i christened it in blood and tears
and adorned it in cloth
built from words
pressed into a neck
and buried into ribs

ii.
i tore down a temple
my own place of worship
with blooded hands
and tear stain cheeks
i washed myself in the unholy seas
leave shrines and sanctuaries
in the hands of gods worth worshiping

iii.
i buried a seed in arid soil
laid forgotten in a dead land
parched
dry
i trampled over it
pushed it deeper within the ground
ignored
alone
i sought something i could not touch
but knew not how to dig

iv.
i stumbled by chance
into a home that was not my own
i sat around the hearth
and poked the idle flames
hestia laid beside me
but i could not see her face
she was joined by another woman
whom i did not know
they sat with me in silence
until the dawn broke again
when they moved on their way
inviting me to follow

v.
i know the feeling
of mortar and stone
there is grit underneath my nails
and a heaviness in my arms
but i’ve forgotten the structure
of temples built long ago
i know longer know
of altars offerings
made to mortals built up to gods

vi.
i want to build a home
brick by brick
your hands in mine
the sweat on our backs
turn over the earth
and plant roots beneath the ground
let it hold fast
in the weathering of storms
let it stay warm
in the cold of winter
let it be blessed and graced
in unity and strength
a home built upon steady foundation