if a house           if a house on a hill near trees and lake

       if the lake, if trees
if a house on the lake, brown, sullen, the overthrown
                                                                                     river bloated

in boats, treated to feed a water’s need

in creation, if a house
                         up the slope, stares down to edge
agape
                                             if a house, if the lake

so many mouths to feed
of animal thirst            meaning mostly insect, reptile, fish and fowl,

                  the lowly worm, king

of the beasts                   (aren’t we, humans)

if fox, if coyote, if fawns chased from the acre
                                                                                     by dogs, if snakes

lacking venom, wiry catfish, whiskers bristled against
                  nylon mesh, if the great heron

tosses perch up the edge, swallows whole fish

                                                             flapping in the throat

if the lake, the wet unclear
                                 if a house, its floor to ceiling glass glinting

                          down the slope

a choice of manicured green full-fertilized
                                                for green to the brown edge

so many mouths
pull from the lake for you to watch

                                                from small hilltop
from a brick house backed in glass

if a house, if trees, if the lake, yours
                                                (aren’t we human)

then the dream is also yours to begin