Farewell John

Editor's Note:  It is with a heavy heart that I must let our readers know that this will be the last poem by John Reinhart as a Songs of Eretz Frequent Contributor.  I will miss his fatherly yet eclectic poetic voice as I am sure our readers will, too.  And now, please enjoy "Homecoming," John's final poem as an FC. 

Homecoming

John Reinhart

in  her dreams

there are hugs 

& how was it

& welcome back,

we missed you

in  her dreams

the house is warm,

her room unchanged,

her knitting needles

still attached to the hat

for mom

in her dreams

the dog is barking

at the boys

playing football

in the street

in her dreams

the last check sits

uncashed in her purse,

her fresh start

on familiar ground

in her dreams

she is awake,

dreaming sunlight

into a living room

full of family, chatting

in her dreams

Poet's Notes:  Coming home is never quite what we imagine. It's never what we left, never what we are, never again, no matter how much there's no place like home, the ruby slippers never fit again, scuffed from too much road, from too much yellow, from highlighting markers explaining the importance of distance, which can never be undistanced. We stretch back into our beds, familiar paint peeling from the ceiling, same old carpet, a poster smiling back, unchanged.