Smithereens Press Chapbooks 'Rootless' by Jennifer Matthews | Page 17

Tenancy
Rentals have no grandchildren
to attend creaks and drips,
so long
as the skeleton stands
the house is self
sufficient.
The entrance wall weeps
where the neighbour's chimney
has crumbled in disrepair.
Bricks sprout
a wig of weeds;
terraced gutters are clogged
with a hairline of grass.
Into the bedroom ivy creeps
under the windowsill,
an encroaching strand, unwelcome
as newly sprouted ear-hair.
Fungus blossoms
a Rorschach test above the bed
where the ceiling is befuddled
under an exposed attic,
to be covered
in emulsion upon tenant complaint.
We’re told: Cosmetic concerns –
expect mould and damp.
We don’t mention
the séance knocks of walls settling,
the dirge of pipes
clanging for visitors.
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