Coming Home

 When the ash clears, there will be poems, songs, and stories to tell. 

Some stories will remain buried deep in broken hearts.

Hearts longing for the kitchen table or fireplace to gather and share.

Not the story of the unforgiving fire

The stories of grandmas, cousins and friends

Easter egg hunts

Birthday parties

Backyard bbqs

Weddings and repasts 

Stories before the hurricane winds.

Memories (not debris) that the Army Corp can’t clear away.

The history of who and what we use to be.

Sanctuaries and neighborhoods

Neighborhoods as sanctuaries

Only our tears left to water the soil and burnt trees.

 The California poppy springs forth undefeated.

The blue jay sings a new song beckoning each one of us to come home.

©2025 ShimicaGaskins