The Earthen Heart
Zimmerman House | Frank Lloyd Wright | Manchester, New Hampshire, USA
I.
trees glisten and quake
looming mist wipes away visibility
rings of smoke rest above the treetops
a musty drizzle and a faint breeze tickle the skin
raindrops patter leaves
staccato notes fade in and out
carefully choreographed procession
contraction and expansion
the field of view ever-changing
forward projection cuts through the dense mist
on the east and west side
evoking the bow of a ship
the forged earthen structure
sinking into the ground
possibly unmoved for hundreds of years
engulfed by the woods
twinkling light peaks out
indicating refuge
what lies beyond?
II.
the central hearth bores through the steep tiled roof
smoke is pumped from it
harmonious natural materials and tones
square, punched-glass windows
— establish a unit of measure
alluding to the hidden geometries
a slender passage
linking the home
lined with countless windows
bringing the outside in
rainwater cascades — forming an exterior waterfall
and a wall of white noise
warm, bronze lighting merges with the wood
bathing the spaces in a whiskey hue
fire crackles a little way away
where the gathering is happening
