Last weekend Mike and I took a drive through our old stomping grounds and neighbor hood. We appreciated seeing our first home together looking very well, very cute and still strong in that curb appeal way. The maple tree we had planted is now mature and beautiful.

A House, A Home

Sometimes this house seems
too large
we drift to different corners
ignored for hours
we seldom cross paths
in silence, slip around back halls

Other times the walls
squeeze in, enclose us
in a corset-tight embrace
sparks scrape off jagged
edges of ourselves
igniting one another
in a fire of unkind words.

In winter’s gloom,
sometimes one room
is all we need—
huddled close on an
overstuffed item of furniture.
We blend our warmth,
befriend each other
in comfort, in love
at home.

Darlene Moore Berg