Forever home

an uncontrollable void beyond my front steps

the natural harshness rains down heavy on

scars that run deep as weathered wood

seeping through a worn roof

soaking webs I don’t dust

because I can’t just forget

I always come home

to the warmth of the fire that burns in my stomach

I can close my door but they still stoke the flame

on a crumbling foundation of bone on bone

areas can be replaced with steel

but even repaired houses don’t stand forever

my walls ache

as seams break under pressure

of the storm of demands that marks thinning skin

demons create drafts in my veins

I have welcomed them but am not ready to whisper back

the creaking and the crack of every step

is wearing me down

the webs continue to linger

I can’t just forget

dust collects on windows that can’t be wiped clean

as I try to peer into the world

I lose interest in my dreams

I can hold onto nothing outside my home

one day I will leave this too

but hold onto everything inside of me

until I build new