The back door to my house
has a second door inside it

A hole to the garage
Covered with a soft plastic flap
Which smacks when it closes
like a gum bubble
popping
in a second graders mouth

And we leave the garage partially open at night
for the cat to come and go as she pleases

But the possum
full and round
which I found
curled up and asleep
in our kitchen sink
this morning was an unwelcome surprise

This is how my house is
Full of doors
with holes

Second doors
for those that matter most

And the possums come in often
and rummage through my pantries

But I keep the second doors open

Covered only
in soft plastic
or a tattered hanging screen
or a sheet of paper with a faded crayon drawing

Open
For those that matter most