Tuesday, May 17, 2016

Design For a House - John Field


In the house I’ll build
My wife, kids, cats, dogs and I 
Will be the posts, pillars and studs 
Upon which its rafters rise.

I’ll lay down the hardwood floor
Board by board  
Rock solid on a concrete slab,
Design a front door 
Shaped like an open mouth 
With an insatiable appetite for friends
And erect walls of glass 
Overlooking sun-checkered gardens,
Squirrels scampering about on the lawn
With nuts in their heads
And trees loud with the laughter of birds.

Call me a dreamer if you will
Made mad by the smell 
Of a chicken casserole in the oven,
Coffee brewing on the stove
And a wet dog 
Sound asleep on the kitchen floor.                                                                                         
It’s linkage I’m thinking about,
The structure and harmony 
Of holding everything together
When storm clouds gather
Point blank above our roof
And collide with the rising moon. 

Some say happiness 
Is an endless distance away
Because something splendid 
Directly in front of them
Is always blocking their view.
No thanks. 
In the house I’ve designed
I’ll sleep adrift
On one soft bed of dreams.
                       ***

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