The Structure of a House

Photo by Luke Stackpoole on Unsplash

The Structure of a House

What gives a house good bones?

The structure underneath

the skin

that carries us?

The house, the temple

of my body

that has survived

the lion’s jaws, the crown

of thorns, of shame held in

my breast,

my thighs.

Held like

soft berries

on the

lips of time.

I rest in the water on

my back, look

up at the solemn sky.

In the attic of

my mind

untouched by storms,

unweathered,

we could be

beautiful

like the bird

carries safety to the nest

branch by branch, we build

a home.