I found the note tucked in page ninetyfour

I found the note tucked in page ninety-four

of the book about pipes and the flow of the drain.

Your handwriting, shaky and looped at the ends,

explaining the way to stop the main stain.

'Righty-tighty,' you wrote with a dash,

'but don't force the valve if the washer is thin.'

I stared at the words while the floorboards creaked,

remembering the night the water came in.

The wood is warped now, a series of waves,

and the screw heads are stripped into silver pits.

I know how to fix it, I have the right grip,

but the house is already falling to bits.