Before Orion was born
the woman who lived next door was the mother of our cat-sitter.
She had been sick for some time
and passed when our son was three months old
.
The last day of the estate sale
I made fresh bread and joined all the neighbors who had
gathered to lift our friends
with food and wine
lawn chairs
and
late evening company
.
Moving vans came 'round
and the footprint of that two story house
whirled into motion
foreign and exciting
after living next to silence for over two years
.
Nectarine gallette brought over on Anthony's hand-me-down plate
introductions
a grand tour
offers for the oldest girl to babysit
plate returned by a nervous and sweetly serious boy
in flannel pj pants
who wanted to know what it was
("a rustic pie," I said, suddenly feeling too grown-up)
and told me it tasted good
.
This morning I heard the mama
singing
slightly off key and beautiful like a bird
the kids bellow each others' names
through the halls and out of doorways
we hear arguments, laughter
and the click of dog nails on the back porch
.
After so much aged silence
and shuttered blinds
suddenly a family has bloomed
there is the smell of dinner cooking through open windows
calls for help with groceries
toilet lids smacking shut and showers hissing steam
teenagers with purple hair and long limbs
intelligent conversations in the back yard on weekend nights till late
lights on at two a.m.
above us
from the second floor
like moonbeams
long wished for
and
realized
.
