Kathleen Ripley Leo
Dedicated to our new neighbors
The House:
our new house has good bones:
deep closets, giant windows, party showers
long planks of vinyl flooring
that kiss ten-eleven foot high walls,
a new doorbell we don’t always
recognize, and above
in a cloudless sky, the sun and moon
pour down limitless joy
we love rooms that flow in and out
there’s a long corridor from our front door
to a back outdoor room above a desert wash
where jack rabbits jump over delicate quail
stilled hummingbirds in outline hang
above mesquite and palo verde fronds
our saguaro and agave squat unperturbed
while coyotes saunter thru the boulders
roadrunners zip by in a rush
The people:
my husband and I love
the new life here. Our grandchildren
roam the gravelly wash, throwing frisbees
shouting and jumping and singing
we now can watch them grow tall
new friends from all over our country
are becoming dear friends
happy talk, happy parties, happy faces
they are people who’ve heard it all
and tried it all
and then came back for more
we love these folks who listen as only
dear friends can, folks
who will spring into action
to soothe the worn corners
of our hearts
just like we’re used to