driving along the country road
in my old pickup truck
more rust than chrome at this point
I come around a bend
and slow
a for-sale sign catches my attention
I signal and brake
turning into the long dirt driveway
I take a picture
with the camera on my phone
of the phone number on the for-sale sign
of my new house
I aim as best I can
through the canopy of trees
to try to see what exactly
is for sale
the road ends
before any indication of
a house or building
so I stop and turn off the engine
to decide my next move
alone in the truck
the hairs on the back of my neck
stand on end
at a noise just outside
my rolled-down window
a deer crosses my path
not 10 feet from my windshield
right to left
its white tail a bit of a flash
and in that moment
I know I am home
getting out of the truck
I go on-foot
to explore my new house
that, sight-unseen, I know I will buy
through the woods
a short walk
except if carrying groceries
is the cabin
the front porch leans a bit
but wraps across the entire front
and has a tin roof
which will be perfect
shelter from summer rainstorms
musical with the rain
drumming on the metal
peering through the windows
I see hard wood floors
patched together
with a rainbow of wood
and scars that tell
the stories of its life
before me
a fireplace holds
cobwebs
from generations of spiders
who have taken up residence
since the last human’s exit
a kitchen to the left
holds sunny yellow walls
and curtains faded over time
with a table left behind
with mismatched chairs
that speak to me
of nonchalance
a bedroom to the right
with a metal bed frame
rusted, like my truck
and a sagging mattress
which has clearly known love
walking around the house
I see
a ray of light
breaking through the trees
shining on a path
and I wander to explore
not a hundred feet behind
the house is my lake
with a dock leading out onto the water
I quicken my pace
kick off my shoes
and step gingerly on the wood
to see if it will bear my weight
when it does
I walk to the end
I sit down at the end of the dock
trailing my toes in the water
it feels like coming home
I scan the lake
curious
excited
happy
my lake
my heart is at peace here
my soul is content
water lilies skim the surface
out in the middle
around the edges are reeds
perched on one, a red-winged blackbird sings
a solo just to me
trees skirt the rim
with sand on the edge
between them and the water
a heron fishes from
its perch in the shade
there are
no other houses
no other docks
no other people
a canoe is pulled up on shore
a few feet down the beach
my canoe
ready for my return
I sigh
pulling out my phone
to dial the number
on the for-sale sign
of my house
I am home
