house of emotion

i am building a house of emotion
using these tools i've learned
to place you inside
giving you a room
for the entire time i read this poem.

the foundation is self-experience
the bit of this story called life
that i've seen and heard
it gives me a way to communicate

the supports are vocabulary
using different styles
to hold up different walls
to make different points

the electrical is emotional
using words to move feeling
up, over, across
through all these rooms

the insulation is metaphor
hiding the studs
warming the room
while keeping sounds
separate

drywall, my favorite
is narrative
the story
it covers over everything
giving you a canvas to paint
or paper
or tile
but place something above all those tools
give the room a sense of completion

the rest, is merely trim-work and plumbing
neither my forte
but i can do the basics
maybe a little more than most

let me build you this house of emotion
i have the tools
now all i need is the time
i'll get it right eventually.