Filling the Gaps

The draft from the baseboard is steady and mean,

so I bought a tube of the white silicone.

I’m trying to keep the bathroom lines clean,

working the trigger while I’m home alone.

It slumps in the gap between tile and the tub,

a thick, gummy rope that refuses to stay.

I give it a smooth, heavy-handed rub

to push all the winter and the coldness away.

It sticks to my finger in a stubborn, pale smear,

marking the places where the house has gone wide.

I’m sealing the leaks that have gathered all year,

trying to keep all the warmth here inside.