Peter Newton

Interior Landscaping

Looking through the original glass window panes, you get that little wobble, like looking at an Impressionist landscape of trees and the mountains beyond. To live in a century-old house, you have to accept a bit of distortion. Anything exposed to the elements this long is bound to show wear and tear. Still, the chamfered edges of the door moldings match throughout. The fluted newel post is solid oak and seems to know how to hold itself upright. The banister spindles show a craftsman’s discipline, standing in alignment like soldiers on review. Thankfully, the paneled woodwork remains unpainted, displaying an almost flame-like grain. The tongue-and-groove floors sit solid and level. No complaints. Inside one closet. a scrap of original wallpaper reveals a woodland scene with a folded deer under a tree. A child’s room.

life expectancy
a cicada climbs out
of itself

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About the Author

Peter Newton is the author of several books in the Japanese short form traditions of haiku, haibun, and tan renga. His newest book of haiku is The Space We Open To (Red Moon Press, 2020).