She knew the weakness of the structure
Was not the crumbling foundation, though she wondered,
Time-to-time, its grand design.
She applied the remedies, in the spirit of
Emergencies. There were logs that propped-up walls and
Hastily-made defense positions in the lawn.
She became a febrile mole, throwing dirt like Mount
Vesuvius - the baroque façade quivered in the earthen onslaught.
Jesus, she became a trap door spider, peeking out at every
Stranger passing curious in the pelting rain.
And the scaffold held a special meaning, all three
Stories, meeting in a widow’s peak - the very top
Felt every wobble of the planet’s grumbling.
She knew the weakness was inside, but could
Not set herself aside - that hubris of didactic rationale -
And with her blueprints on the table,
Inward, one-by-one, the walls, unstable,
Fell.
*From the book: Vapours of Promise, ©2004 - ISBN 1-59526-352-7
Kelly Vinal
http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/structural-integrity/
