I love the little houses:

trailer,

double-wide,

double-long,

saltbox,

shotgun shack,

ranch,

unconverted farmhouse.

Dogs that come out and terrify you

from behind a far too flimsy fence.

***

Castor oil, ginger,

apple cider vinegar,

put half an onion on a sill and see how it behaves.

Honey’s good for cough and cold,

pine-needle for the hard-core.

Lots of garlic helps to chase the stomach bugs away.

Epsom salts and menthol rub,

basil, thyme, and black cohosh.

Herbs that our great-grandmothers

used to keep in stash.

Tinctures, teas, and poultices,

but we don’t say Hail Marys ’cause

we’re Protestants.

***

At first, it will seem intrusive.

If outdoors, you’ll want to stop what you are doing and watch it glide by,

noting its three or four engines,

its well-executed graffiti,

its rhythmic clicks.

If indoors, you’ll want to stop speaking

when you feel its rumble.

But after a while, it will become part of the necessary sounds of life:

water running, the heat kicking on, children singing, your own breathing,

and the train.

This process will take less time than you expect.

In weeks, not months,

you will feel uneasy if it does not come on time:

your motherland’s lullabye

rocking you through your days.