by Hannah Ross-Suits
when the water started to rise
it carried giant rolls of brown paper from the factory
they shoved against the foundation of the house,
pushed it into the backyard,
six
feet
back
the water inside rose to three feet
and only left after eight hours
soaking the walls,
encouraging the toxic mold
which grew up the walls and onto the ceiling,
up
that
high
the water littered trash and stones all over the backyard,
front yard
inside the house and under it
the debris wrecked the sidewalk,
and what was left of the foundation,
mortar
and
brick
the water stained the entire house
all the neighborhood and town
all the people,
though they refuse to give up;
they will rebuild and put
lives
back
together
before the water, the house had four entry steps
but with the house on its new foundation
six feet back,
back into the backyard
the
steps
lead
nowhere
Hannah Ross-Suits is a Coe College senior from Grants Pass, Ore., majoring in history and philosophy.
