The Family

.

…he goes back
to the wealthy house   because
he has left the door                  unlocked
and was supposed
                  to be taking care of it
                                   until the owners return

The door
is a confusion
of screens
and sliding glass

His key fits them all                                                 
                                                           but won’t lock any

He finds a dial
that has to be turned
to correspond
to the proper door

and as he tries his key again

an older eccentric
woman
walks up
and introduces herself

She doesn’t question                                               
                                                               what Pahn is doing
in these pre-dawn hours
but takes a more than friendly
                                                                      interest in him

She assumes command                                                                         

becoming
                                                            Lakhehsis

And they are soon joined
by Lukh and Theya
and Phthona

The older women                                                                                       
take the forty-pound roasts                                   
                        out of the refrigerator to warm to room temperature

while the others
                                                          check the yard

the lawn is patchy                                                 
from the drought
and riddled with mole-runs

Pahn
                                                               steps out to investigate
but when he turns around
he sees
that Uncle Lukh                                                                      
has already gotten the tiller
                                                             and plowed half the turf

Cousin Phthona is digging deeper                       
turning the soil                                                                                        
to a depth of two feet                                                                       

As Pahn tries to understand
                                                                  the electric sandbox
he realizes                                 that he has lost control

Hearing Phthona’s voice
                                                               assuring that everything
                                                                is being taken care of

Pahn decides it is no longer his problem

Leaving them
to their incomprehensible industry
he walks off
by the residential oaks
            and mixed begonias
            into the 
                           dissolving woods
                                        at the edge
                                                                     of their defined

                                                         image

.

.