beyond fond from always. by joseph biss

i awake to a field mouse
dropping a shagbark hickory nut
in the ceiling above my head

when it rains and the inevitable tin roof leaks
i smell the seeds the rodent missed
becoming swollen

afraid of heights
i lean a ladder against the crumbling chimney the house no longer exhales from
to throw tar on the leaky lungs

only then do i see the first signs of growth
a push of green matching the house’s exterior paint
easily a dozen tree seedlings haphazardly arranged by mice

a tree house in reverse
it may be better to let nature take its course
let the trunks support the slanted roof
and the roots plug the basement holes

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