It’s an old house
brick, hardwood floors, high ceilings
the way they used to be made
We make small changes
some of the floors have been sanded
walls repainted
We satisfy our lust for modernity
haul in our modern conveniences:
refrigeration, clothes washing
The old hermit crab dies
or wanders off,
the new one moves in
We take over the shell
still of use
and we always in need
Things get passed down
or on, or across
direction in this game is sometimes unclear
But we never forget
it is easier to reuse
than rebuild