This is Home To Me

A first step into an empty house

A blank canvas

On which to paint

The rest of my life

*

This is home to me.

…

The first time we met

You opened my gates

Along with my heart

And strolled right on in

*

This is home to me.

…

We’ve had our fair share

Of fights and passions

Of rubbing each other’s

Rough edges smooth

*

This is home to me.

…

Your glasses case left

On the kitchen island

Along with a trail of crumbs

Splashes of coffee from filling your flask

*

This is home to me.

…

The sweet smell

Of your freshly-laundered t-shirt

And the warmth of your embrace

As my tears soak the fabric

*

This is home to me.

…

The terrible pang of loss

And joy of birth

The snuggles on the sofa

That see us through it all

*

This is home to me.

…

The uncomplaining way you soothe

The hurts of my amputated leg

In the middle of the night

When the phantoms attack

*

This is home to me.

…

The peaty tang of a single malt

While we sit side by side

Noses each buried in a book

And relax into silence—companionship

*

This is home to me

…

The way we each

Try and guess the plot

Of the many movies

We love to watch

*

This is home to me.

…

Your risqué humour

And gentle smile

The laughter lines on your face

All of you makes my heart race

*

This is home to me.

…

That certain look in your eyes

The firm cadence of your voice

And the love you show

In so many wonderful ways

*

This is home to me.

…

Palace or mansion

An uncarpeted council flat

A hovel or a shack

I don’t care for any of that

*

This is home to me.

…

Always and everywhere

With you at my side

Growing old together

Sharing laughs and memory gaps

*

This is home to me.