He finished the last window at sunset. He stood back, waiting for the draft. Nothing. Just the solid, quiet containment of warm air. He poured a glass of scotch and sat in his chair. The room was still. The heating system clicked off and did not click back on for a very long time.
The clerk, a young woman named Dev with cobalt-blue hair and the calm authority of a ship captain, listened to his description. “You don’t need an exorcist,” she said. “You need acrylic latex caulk for the interior, silicone for the exterior, and a tube of paintable latex for the trim. And backer rod for the big gaps.” how to seal cracks around windows
Ernest smiled. He had not written a poem in years. But as he looked at the three sealed windows, he realized he had just composed one. Its stanzas were the even beads of caulk. Its meter was the steady glide of his finger. Its meaning was this: A small, honest repair is a form of love. It says, You are worth keeping warm. You are worth the attention of my hands. He finished the last window at sunset