Have You Ever?

Have you ever met someone who made you love the city you used to hate?

The memories that once tarnished your town,

Lost, gone and faded.

The city you once thought to never come back to,

Became a blessing in disguise.

That home doesn't have to be your childhood house:

A broken place with broken windows,

Holey walls,

And unhinged doors;

Banshee screams that used to haunt the halls.

Instead,

Home becomes the place where you first met,

Such as, an aisle, under a dozen lights.

Or the walls of the tower,

Where you talked for hours,

Above the city stars,

Sharing dreams and desires.

And even the streets you roamed

That one eventful night.

Our laughter was always a chorus,

A result of stupid jokes and genuine delight.

Have you ever met someone who made you realise,

That you searched for home in all the wrong faces,

Especially because you were broken, lost and faded?

Everything you once thought about love was wrong.

That it isn't just a relationship of:

Two strangers paired,

Overused phrases and words shared

- Hollowed.

All because we fear to be alone.

Instead, you learn that love is a commitment

That love is care,

That love can be abundantly annoying,

But so ever so mystical and rare.

Love is someone who makes you glow,

Even when you're blinded in the dark.

Home can be found in a face,

But only with someone,

Who makes you feel both secure and safe.

And as such is a cliché,

But have you ever met someone who makes love songs come true?

From sweet serenades to melancholy melodies;

The lyrics become alive ,

Always flowing like a sweet lullaby.

Until one night,

You hear an unexpected song,

A song that can only be described as divine,

And just like the stars,

The meanings of the lyrics

- begin to align.

And, perhaps, one fateful day,

At a time when hope is needed,

Unexpectedly, you may hear that song.

Bittersweet, but regardless,

You question whether it's destiny,

Or, maybe, divine intervention,

- Or, perhaps, simply just Serendipity.

Nevertheless, the lyrics, the voice,

The emotions -

The overall whimsical phenomenon -

Becomes a sad but gentle reminder,

That while they are not there,

They have not gone.

But,

Most importantly -

To me, anyways -

Have you ever met someone who felt like a sigh of relief?

In their presence,

Your layers fall,

Your guard drops,

Your genuine laughter is no longer a distant memory,

The fragmented pieces of you,

That you show to be,

Outside of your home

- Separately -

All become one.

And yet -

The "parts I hide,"

As lyrical poet UMI describes,

"For someone else to find,"*

Suddenly come to light;

Where you hear a voice,

Deep within you,

Whispering ever so softly,

But loudly enough,

"Holy shit, that's the one."

Because I have,

and he was my home.

* Song reference: "Down To Earth" by UMI (2019)