X What Is Built, Slowly
On construction, time, and maintenance
For years,
nothing held.
And often,
it was not meant to.
What remained
required attention.
The doors had to close properly.
The stove had to hold heat.
Water had to run
without freezing.
Small corrections.
Repeated.
Bills arrived.
Supplies were ordered.
Repairs were made,
without certainty
they would last.
There were no assurances.
Only tasks.
The room had to open on time.
The table had to be set.
Food had to be prepared,
whether confidence
was present or not.
Over time,
repetition steadied
what feeling could not.
Trust did not come
from belief.
It came
from showing up again.
La Guirtelle
did not appear fully formed.
It accumulated.
Through days
that did not feel decisive.
Through adjustments
that did not announce themselves.
Nothing dramatic occurred.
Only continuity,
maintained.
Uncertainty remained.
So did the work.
That allowed
the doors to open.
Again.