Member Poem

Home is where the heart is,
where safety is,
where comfort is.
where I have a voice.

Home is what I thought I had;
Until,
I invited a dog to stay
To complete “your” home.

As hard as I tried to help the dog,
Bruises from the dog’s sharp teeth attacked my safety,
Senseless wailing from the dog unsettled my comfort,
Keeping me prisoner in a little bar stool;
As hard as I tried to tell you it needs to go, You tried harder to drown out my voice,
And you succeeded.

So our home became a house,
Where all I had was lodging.
But it was always just a house,
Wasn’t it?

I retreated to a place I once called home,
And my heart came back to life;
On a balcony looking out
At the green grass and dusty rolling hills,
Where the warm sun and cool breeze hit,
Where vivacious voices of a multigenerational family buzz,
Where friendly faces are met.
Bruises healed,
Crying surrendered to peaceful silence,
And made way for my voice.
In a place I will always call home.