We’re told the owners don’t like prying eyes on their new build
So we take out binoculars and watch for something worth its weight in defensive glares
Tainting it with our unworthiness
From this far across the bay there is nothing but a large arrangement of blank symmetrical plywood panels
Poised precariously on the edge of the water that reflects and mocks the sky like a merciless sibling
Against its more modest and secure neighbors the mansion feels less impressive and more desperate
These people are going for square footage as if it’s an architectural concept
Yet the trees still threaten to blot it out from all angles
Unhappy to share the space with something so potentially gaudy
Out here where the evergreens, rivers, and mountains intersect
Most have already accepted that nothing man can build is big enough
Recognizing the naturally occurring giants of nature they live amongst for what they are
At peace with the way age slowly bites into our infrastructure
Our existence is more temporary than the flora and fauna here, and perhaps some feel a need to flaunt their ability to hold power over the earth as consequence
Grandeur born from fear and too much existentialism
Knowing those trees that cover the land will sit on for centuries after we’re gone; wise, well, and enduring
But that fanciful plywood house in the woods finds itself in the most tragic spot yet
Glued where it stands and receptive to nothing
Left reaching out for the sun that does not befall it on afternoons like these
Competing with forces of time and transformation that don’t have any difficulty competing with it back
Georgia Hope writes queer fantasy with a southern gothic twist and essays that break down the turbulent relationship between adolescence and academia. Currently a high school senior in the state of Texas, her idea of a good time is exploring haunted small towns with a notebook, camera, and a large cup of iced coffee. When she’s not making her readers cry you can find her gathering more bizarre lore for her next story or having an existential crisis on her Instagram page @georgiainabook.
Featured image by Imat Bagja Gumilar on Unsplash.
