Thursday, May 05, 2022
POEM: I LEFT MY HOUSE
I left my house and walked to the shore,
The white sand laced with seaweed,
And dotted with shells.
Hands in pockets and wind roaring in my ears,
I walked beside the talking water,
Rolling in and rolling out
Talking to me of faraway lands.
I was a boy and only knew of distant places
From books I had read, or from lessons
Taught at school.
Being a boy, all was jumbled up in my head
Treasure Island side by side with
Encyclopaedia Britannica.
Sants and sinners lived "out there"
Somewhere across that water,
And, despite the efforts of the nuns,
I liked the sinners better,
I thought.
Still do, sometimes.
Out in the bay a sometimes ship
Went by, going somewhere...out there,
and, on weekends, I could see
The white sails of pleasure craft as people enjoyed
A happy life I could only dream of.
Then, one day, I left my house.
I went out there
And met some sinners and some saints
And still like the sinners better,
Generally.
While I was gone
My father left this world,
My mother left the house,
And I lost track of who I was.
Then, one day I came back.
The house was there, but, not my house.
And, I realized with sadness,
I had left my house for the last time.
9/30/2016
Labels: aging, death, home, house, life, poem, poem by Donovan Baldwin, poetry
