Home

two poems on the subject of belonging, safety and warmth

1)

They call it home.

A place in which warmth fills every room

Safety locks the front door

And family holds you tight

They say it’s fixed.

Where is home for you?

Where do you call home?

They ask, limiting your very kinship with this feeling

But I call it love.

A long hug with a reunited friend

Comfort reveals itself in a smile

And acceptance holds you two close

I say it’s fluid.

Changing from me, to you, to us

From here, to there, to everywhere

I say, emphasizing the abundance of this feeling

2)

I tried finding a home within others

Vacuuming the floors

Leaving a cooked dinner on the table

Tending to the needs of their environment

And then I waited.

I waited for a key of my own

A drawer and an empty spot for my toothbrush

Guaranteed safety, love and reciprocity

A guaranteed home.

I waited. And I waited.

I moved from one person to the next

Hopeful, disappointed yet hopeful again

But home always seemed just out of my grasp

Still, my floors were dirty and I needed to be fed

Still, the needs of my environment were far from being met

The locks had been changed and I was without a key

And so I stopped waiting.

I tried finding a home within myself

Doing yoga because I liked it, journaling because it inspired me

I poured into myself the way I had poured into others

Soon, I began to arrive.

Home was always within me

She got into bed with me every night, with a bonnet

She wiped away my tears every time I was disappointed

She offered me safety, love and reciprocity.

A guaranteed home.