Foundation

A house was started in the spring
no cement was poured:
they wonder how it crumbled
they did not see it fall.

One brought lumber
soaked in tears,
some brittle bark
to weave their fears;
one added planks
termite riddled,
one did not come
to build at all.

One carried nails
rusted with blood;
they hammered it
to stay aloft
through wind and rain,
in joy and pain
when they thought summer
came to call.

The walls were built
with careless hope
that all would be
withstandable.
They built for years
not looking down
to see if it would
stand too tall.

Now here they stand
among the heaps
of windblown dreams
at summer's end.
A house was built,
none came to see
the swaying stilts
none can recall:

No cement was poured.