No Longer My Home

It wasn’t so long ago that I left home

To further my education and pursue my dreams.

And now I stuff my clothes and books

Into my duffle bag that’s bursting at the seams

Like my mind, heavy with memories

Of the good times and the bad.

All unforgettable moments that form my past

In the home that I once had.

So my friends and I hug and wave

As we go our separate ways to journey home.

But I do not feel ready to leave them

As I enter the world that I once roamed.

My mom greets me with open arms

My dad with a stiff nod of the head

My body tingles, numb to this reunion

As I wander to my old room to lie on my bed.

Glow in the dark stars still stick to the ceiling,

Posters and trophies still line the room,

Everything seems eerily frozen in the past

As though I simply pressed pause and now it’s time to resume.

But I know that this is no longer my home.

I am a stranger, simply passing by.

I give a smile as I pass my housemates,

But we never say much more than the courteous hi.

We never really formed that parent child bond

So, I suppose this is no different than before,

But from the family that I formed at school,

I understand that the world offers much more.

This home was no more than a hotel

Where I stashed my stuff and crashed for the night.

I would fly out early, and trudge back late

And at any chance to leave I would bite.

There was a reason I never planned to return

I didn’t want to be reminded that my home wasn’t true

I didn’t have family dinners or game nights.

Instead I was alone throughout every chew.

I am ready to leave this false home.

To return to the new one that I have found

Where I am more than a lonely guest

But a part of a family that loves without bound.