What the House Said

Merlie Alunan

The moon sailing in the sky looks down on the little house
where Amina Elise and Alexine Marit live
with their Dada and Momma, Sonia the Yellow Cat,
Big Dog Yoda, and Paquita, the pink elephant.

Tu-hoo the owl is out in the fields hunting. Tulfo the spotted gecko
waits on a branch of the jackfruit tree. The mice and the birds
are quiet in their nests in the eaves.

Amina Elise and Alexine Marit are out of their beds.

“I heard a call,” says Amina Elise.

“I heard it too,” says Alexine Marit.

Paquita the pink elephant is sitting beside the pillow.
Paquita never closes her button eyes.
Dada is snoring softly. Mama is asleep on Papa’s shoulders.
Sonia the Yellow Cat is nestled among the pillows in the red sofa.
Big Dog Yoda is snoring in the kitchen. They pull his tail gently.
Yoda stretches a little and snores louder.

There are shadows everywhere. They hear a little creak.
Up on the roof. There by the window. The door, the floor.
The lintels, the posts, the walls. The house, the house!
The house is talking to Amina and Alex!

Says the roof, I guard you from the sun and the rain, Amina and Alex.
I keep you cool and dry.

Says the window, I let in the wind, Amina and Alex.
I let in the light. I let you see the moon and the stars
when they are shining bright.

Says the door, I open to let you out to run and play in the sun.
I close at night to keep you safe and warm.

Say the posts and the lintels, I keep things in place. That’s what we do.
We keep the house whole for all of you.
The walls shiver and quiver and speak out, Oh, Amina and Alex,
because I’m here, you can tell outside from inside. Outside is the sky,
the fields, the streets, and many people. Inside is Dada and Mama,
and Paquita the Pink Elephant, Sonia the Yellow Cat, Big Dog Yoda.
Inside you are warm. You are dry. You are safe. Inside is your home.

Thank you house. We will remember everything.
Now we will go back to sleep.

Amina and Alex go to the kitchen and tell Big Dog Yoda,
You are home Yoda. Sleep tight.

Alex rubs the nose of Sonia the Yellow Cat. Let the mice sleep tonight,
Sonia. They too are home.

They look at Dada and Mama asleep on their bed. Amina and Alex
whisper to them, We are safe, Dada and Mama. We are home.

Amina and Alex climb onto her their bed and listen. Tu-hoo the owl
is calling out in the fields. That is his home. Tulfo the spotted gecko
sleeps under the leaves of the jackfruit tree. He is home.
The mice and the birds are quiet in their nests. They too are home.

Amina and Alex pull the blanket up to their chin.
Good night, house. We are safe. We are home.

The moon sails on in the night sky. It is also at home.