White house four square bold black shutters elm trees line the front walk Whose house? My house See, there’s my name etched on the sidewalk my brother’s name is there, too Big house noisy house four bedrooms upstairs and one down Voices shouting laughing calling filling these rooms with sound Warm house safe house sleeping in the bunk below my sister Mommy and Daddy across the hall Old house this house with steps that creak when I try to sneak a midnight snack Beloved house my house see those pencil marks on the kitchen doorframe that’s how tall I was at three and five and nine Marks that have probably been erased from the doorframe of the kitchen of this house my house The house that now belongs to someone else