The Affair

by Lilly Barels

I’m having an affair
with a house.
It’s big
and has broad beams,
strong stilts
that protect me
from rushing waves.
I want all of it.
The dishes without chips.
The tall window
that lets a hot sun in
at the perfect angle,
so I can sit in the
armchair that isn’t mine
and feel warmth
fill the parts of me
I didn’t realize were ravenous.