Bleached House and Battered Lawn

Patrick Gibson

 

A wooden house settles on new foundation looking pale stark uprooted

sod grows in foreign soil, once uniform now clovered weedy uprooted

 

Both came from land, tree to timber, seed to sod, nailed or farmed about

both remade in Henry Ford’s taste, dismantled, dug up, and uprooted

 

Though neither can speak both wield historical and significant clout

house held a poet while lawn cushioned Brit’s steps before uprooted

 

What gave old Henry the right to change their paths wipe everything out

Does it matter? Henry’s gone and what remains can’t reverse uprooted

 

So, let’s take stock of what’s left, siding, shutters, and iron downspout

direct nurture to the lawn, who’s growth comforts and defies uprooted

 

A house for reflection and a lawn to admire, dueling knockout

Mr. Frost would love it, phrase, it, write it down, converse uprooted