Making Steam
Oct 21 2008


The furnace rumbled to life today
chugging away in the engine room,
its comforting vibration
moving through the house.
The windows are battened down
for the season;
and as dusk plunges into darkness
they glow like a ship at sea.

I feel pleased with myself,
the place snug
self-contained
ready to ride out the cold —
waves of snow
breaking over the front porch;
and smoke
rising from the single stack;
and my house
steaming steadily off
into winter.

Except for those warm clear days
that come
in October.
When a window gets cracked
and the furnace subsides
and the house sits land-locked,
basking
in unaccustomed sunshine.