The house was still and sad
\nas I turned its knobs,
\nopening doors.
\nMy presence made no difference
\nto the emptiness.
\nIt was waiting for its family,
\nas if a melody
\nthat played in its rooms
\nwas silent until their return.<\/p>\n
I looked out the window.
\nThe garden,
\nfor all its color
\ndid not cheer me.
\nIt seemed asleep.
\nWhere was the family
\nthat watered its flowers,
\nthe children
\nthat played in the dust
\nunder the slide?<\/p>\n
I told the house be patient.
\nCatherine and Chih,
\nJack, Michael and Mark
\nare coming.
\nThey will run up and down
\nthe stairs tomorrow.
\nRustle in the kitchen,
\nfootsteps echo in and out
\nthe doors.
\nThe silence will fly away.
\nThe goldfish will come to the glass
\nof its aquarium.
\nAnd everything will expand
\nas if arms encircled the sky,
\nand pitchers of light
\noverturned on the tables.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The house was still and sad as I turned its knobs, opening doors. My presence made no difference to the emptiness. It was waiting for…<\/p>\n