Our Treehouse in the Sky

I NEVER THOUGHT WE’D FIND THIS PLACE.

BEFORE ELLIE HAPPENED, OUR WORLD FELT LIKE A RACE.

I NEVER COULD BREATHE OR FIND ANY CHILL,

BUT NOW I’VE NO CHOICE—IT’S ALL ABOUT WILL.

GO WITH THE CURRENT, NOT BORN TO DROWN.

HER SMILE, HER EYES—LIFE TURNED UPSIDE DOWN.

WITH IT ALL SO UNCERTAIN, DELICATE AND SHORT,

IMPOSSIBLE WITHOUT YOU—MY HEART, MY COHORT,

WHERE DO YOU THINK WE’LL BE IN A YEAR?

CAN YOU BELIEVE WHERE WE’VE BEEN? IS SHE REALLY HERE?

FLASHING BACK, PUSHING FORWARD.

SEEMINGLY ENDLESS—WE HAVE TO MOVE TOWARD

OUT OF THE WOODS. NOW STUCK BETWEEN THESE FOUR WALLS

THINKING BACK TO THOSE AWFUL LATE-NIGHT PHONE CALLS.

STANDING DOWNSTAIRS, THE DOCTOR GAVE ME THE NEWS.

YOU COULDN’T HEAR THE WORDS, BUT YOU READ MY CUES.

ONE MORE THING. A ROLLER COASTER FOR SURE.

ALL SO CLEAR, YET ALSO SOMEHOW A BLUR.

THIS HOUSE ISN’T SACRED—NOT STANDALONE OR PERFECTLY NEAT.

THERE ARE GEESE EVERYWHERE, AND THERE’RE HOLES IN THE STREET.

THE PAINT THAT’S SUPPOSED TO CLING TO THE WALLS,

CLIMBS TO THE CEILINGS WITH STAIRS BUILT FOR FALLS.

BUT YOU FINALLY HAVE A CORNER TO YOURSELF,

A PLACE TO ARRANGE AND DISPLAY—YOUR PASSION SHELF.

I HAVE A PLACE TO WORK, TO CRAFT AND TO DREAM.

BABY HAS SPACE TO PLAY, TO CRAWL AND TO SCREAM.

DOG HAS A YARD AND SPACE TO ROAM.

THE GOAL ALL ALONG, WE HAVE A HOME.

IT’S ALL STILL SO NEW BUT ROOTED EARLY ON IN THE NIGHT.

IF SHE WOULD, I PROMISED THAT I, TOO, WOULD FIGHT.

I REMEMBER THE DARK, THE SAD, AND THE NOT.

I REMEMBER THE FEELING OF SINKING, OF SICK AND OF ROT.

SLEEPING THROUGH SNOW AND TRUDGING IN A DAZE,

FLURRIES ALL BURIED IN A GRIEF-RIDDEN HAZE.

BUT UP IN OUR ROOM, SURROUNDED BY TREES,

REMINDED OF SPRING BY THE BLOOMS AND THE BEES.

I AM VERY SMALL, AND IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE, I FEEL THE SUMMER BREEZE.

PROTECTED FROM LIGHT AND IN OUR SAFE COCCOON,

OUR ANNIVERSARY SEASON IS COMING UP SOON.

INSIDE I SMELL PUMPKIN, APPLES, PEONIES, AND BALL.

THE CHANGING OF SEASONS. LOVE, IT’S ONCE AGAIN FALL.

BLANKETS AND STUFFED ANIMALS LITTER THE FLOOR.

THE SAME SONGS ON REPEAT, YET SHE STILL WANTS AN ENCORE.

CONSTANT SINGING, LAUGHING, AND CRYING.

ON THE STOVE I’VE GOT SAUSAGE, EGGS AND TOAST FRYING.

THE DOG WON’T SHUT UP, AND MY HAIR IS A MESS,

TAKING IT ONE DAY AT A TIME, OR BY THE HOUR, OR LESS.

CERTAINLY NOT ALL OF THIS OR ALL OF THAT,

WE TRY TO DEFINE IT AT THE DROP OF A HAT.

THAT’S ALWAYS BEEN OUR TROUBLE—STUCK IN THE WEEDS.

CONSUMED BY OUR THOUGHTS, SOMETIMES BLINDED BY CREEDS.

ALL ALONG THE STAIRWAY, THERE ARE PINECONES. LIGHTS—BLACK AND WHITE.

IT MIGHT SOUND CLICHÉ, HACKNEYED OR TRITE,

BUT TRULY THIS HOME IS WHERE YOU ARE, WHERE YOU WERE.

WHERE “WE” BECAME "MORE", WHERE WE LEARNED TO ENDURE.

WHAT WE’VE LOST, WHAT WE’VE GAINED.

IT HAS NOT BEEN EASY, BUT THAT LOVE HAS REMAINED.

AMONG THE WILDFLOWERS OR TALKING TO A DEAD LINE:

“SURE, THINGS ARE MOVING. WE’RE DOING JUST FINE.”

HOME ISN’T FLAWLESS, FULL OF JOY AND CONTENT.

IT’S BROKEN PROMISES ON A SLAB OF CEMENT.

IT’S NOT ALL ROSES, BEADS AND BEDS.

IT’S THORNS TIED INTO A BOW OF FEARS AND DREADS.

OUR HAVE-NOTS AND OUR WANT NONES.

IT’S MORE THAN THE GOOD AND MORE THAN THE BAD.

IT’S OUR MOTIVATIONS, OUR GOALS. EVERY DREAM THAT WE’VE HAD.

IT’S OUR FORT THROUGH THE RAIN AND AN OPEN DOOR.

IT’S THE OUTSIDE THAT OUR FEET TRAIL ON THE FLOOR.

WE WON’T BE HERE FOREVER, BUT FOR NOW, IT’S OUR BASE.

EVERY WORD THAT’S BEEN SPOKEN, OUR PRAYERS AND OUR GRACE.

IT’S BEEN UNKIND, IT’S BEEN STOLEN.

IT’S BEEN LOST, AND IT’S BEEN BROKEN.

THE ONES THAT WE’VE LEFT, AND THE ONES WE BURNED DOWN.

ALL THOSES PLACES ARE GONE, YET ALWAYS AROUND.

LINGERING, ROUSING, ENTREATING AND CRYING.

ANOTHER GOAL MET, BUT WE HAVE TO KEEP TRYING.

WITH YOU I’VE FOUND PEACE, MEANING AND BREATH.

THROUGH THE SHALLOW AND THE DEEPEST OF DEPTHS,

WHEREVER YOU ARE, WHEREVER SHE IS.

YOU ARE MY HEART BEATING, MY HOME—

OUR TREEHOUSE IN THE SKY.