Map Poem

It stands normal, like every other house on the block
Green and shingled into split- level
Uniformity with wild, landscaped elderberry hedges
Outlined by the dead geraniums, just before where the cornfield begins
Goosebumps consume all by-passers’ arms, but not from today’s forecast
Not from the blamelessly falling snow
On the outside, one may smell only moistened earth
The inside situates much differently than any other split-level
The indoor aromas are unrecognizable
Without a brand; unable to be identified
Hard to be traced; could not be accused of anything
The dinning table looks abandoned against a clean wall
Suspiciously, the tiles shine spotlessly
Half closed shades, yet the porcelain gleams gently without the sun


The stairs creek going above and below floor level, thoughtfully timed by each movement
The garage creates weariness from the dark stains on the floor
Those stains attached to young, innocent screams
Screams that were so piercing, they are now inaudible
Everything seems deceiving upstairs; in a normal, yet dangerous bedroom
For that paper bag still waiting to be tossed, once seeping blood,
remains casually crusted next to a lamp on the nightstand
Sheltering a knife so sharp and precise, that it is threatened by its own blade
This house considered so standard, conceals everything from the ignorant world


Based on novel, The Lovely Bones, by Alice Sebold.