What can you do when there is no farewell?

The opportunity lost, slipped away with the 

Hustle and bustle and musts

A final box packed and placed on the truck

And then on to the next

But the past not forgot

 

Within the walls, childhoods lost

Echoes of laughter and tears

A sister and brother playing and fighting

And really aren’t those the same?

A family bled dry, on the brink of ruin

Searching for a way to stay whole

 

And so on to the next, they say

We need a fresh start

And to a new state we are headed

They hand over the keys and

It happens so fast

An old friend left in the dust

 

What do you do when you miss it so much?

The warmth of the wood and the light filtering in

Through the living room window

Inviting and familiar and safe

Where you rocked and rolled

To your first earthquake in 1992

 

And the yard in the back with your peach tree 

Bushes of rosemary and rose

And expanse of grass where there used to be play

Where you’d run wildly screaming and giggling

Or play in a pool set up for the summer

Pick up thorns in your feet along the way

 

You visit this place in your memories or dreams

And maybe even sometimes drive by

Know in your heart the feelings are real

Frozen in time somewhere and somehow

And perhaps your never said goodbye

Because this home still lives in your heart