Poem: The Hole in the Wall

The Hole in the Wall

The carpenter is meticulous,
carefully cutting, layer by layer.
Plaster. Lathe. Studs.

Slowly opening up the wall
between the duplexes
to make the house whole

for the first time in six generations,
flooding each room with new light,
letting sound and bodies flow

letting lives, once separated,
join together
as one.

It is not an easy task.
There are obstacles that show themselves:
ancient wiring that must be moved,

odd framing that must be worked around.
fragile plaster that falls at a touch,
but slowly, each is overcome,

Today, the house feels like a wreck
with debris and dust strewn everywhere,
but even now, with the ruins of the work all about you,

with all that is unfinished,
you can see what will be,
and believe in the beauty of the future, seeing

in these two rooms conjoined, a reflection
of life, and love,
of hope and promise.

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The photograph is from my new home in West Pawlet, Vt., where this weekend my next door neighbor opened up two rooms for me, as well as opened up a stairwell. You can click on it for a larger version.

Tom