To Maureen, Christmas 1990

i sit in this house alone;
it is a lovely, lovely house.
i sit in the house alone
because it is my job to sit here alone;
together is in my mind,
separating aloneness and togetherness on paper;
even sometimes
putting them together again.

it is a lovely, lovely house
a central theme in our lives:
this house, this lovely, lovely house
houses our daughter, our essence;

this house, this lovely, lovely house.
i sit in this house alone.
it is a lovely, lovely house.
The sun makes this house
glow while i sit writing alone.

i love this house,
the way it captures the sun,
pouring it into my soul
like a morning cup of coffee,
making writing alone easier.
yet the glow of the house is not warm,
the beauty of this lovely, lovely house
is not complete
until you come home to
this lovely, lovely house
making it, and me, complete.


- Bonita, California
- December 23, 1990