Written as a list of instructions, the poem begins like a practical note left for a stranger, but it slowly turns into something closer to an invitation. The speaker tells the housesitter to feed the birds, pick the fruit, milk the goats, and cook the weeds in the garden. Even the small warnings, like avoiding the bitter yellow pears, sound friendly rather than strict. The speaker seems generous and trusting, even leaving the door unlocked.
As the poem goes on, the tasks give way to something stranger and more magical. Dew, rainwater, and kissing dogs make the house feel like part of the natural world. By the end, the animals tell the sitter what to dream, and a great gray owl speaks at midnight. The final word, "Listen," shifts the tone from cozy to quietly mysterious. The mood is calm, sensual, and a little enchanted, as if the housesitter is being asked to care for the place and also to be changed by it.