Homesick by Valerie Parente

They say home is a state of mind
but I’ve been homesick for quite some time
trying to find solace in words and rhymes
because a replacement for you is so hard to find.

I’m just a poet looking for a place to belong
a mindset I’ve compensated for, for so long
ever since that one safe haven went wrong
and our house burned to the ground.

It’s been 12 years wandering the same path
and I wonder when I’ll finally get sick of that,
I think it’s time to hold my breath and go back
and find peace of mind in that other half.

– Valerie Parente (8-25-2020)