Walking across a lawn of weed and
Toys, no one heard me arriving home
Yelling children, sharp voices,
Laughter and squabble.

A ray of light escaped through
A curtain drawn window, but was
Quickly swallowed up by a night
That feared its own darkness.

A family huddled together as
Seeking shelter from an unkind world
I didn’t want to be here
Yet I was one of them.

Would rather have stayed in the bar
Played cards and drifted through
The night in a haze of wine and
Havana cigars.

Silence fell when I stood in
The doorway and I got that
Sinking feeling of not belonging,
A stranger coming home.