My childhood home

Take the first right after the circle
it’s the fifth house on the right
standing wholly within the cool shade
thrown by a huge mango tree
the gate is painted cream and black
metal with a wooden frame, the three
red-oxide steps to the main door are lined
by two red-oxide thinnais
on which, if you look carefully
eyes half-closed - you may see
all the people who have sat
stood, chatted, laughed, wept
posed for photos, argued, waited
dreamt – eyes wide open or looking
up into the sky and the mango tree
both holding the whole house
and all its characters – inside their breath.