We
build walls around us
Put
doors in it to escape out
Windows
to let the air in
And ventilators
to let out ill winds, sins
We make noises inside
Suppress
laughter and tear alike
In
maelstroms of electric wind;
We settle down and take rest
Some
of us, lucky, dwell in homes
Which
hold fast; together
The
denizens take meals together
Around
a common table, in silence or mirth
Some,
unlucky, have the meals
Taken to
groaning rooms
Consumed
piecemeal, all sense of family lost
Life
trickles to a stop
In
fragments of apology
And
concealed bitterness
Which
reveal the 'home'
As a
sanctuary
A place
where we invest
All we
have; and all we could
So that
we can sign out
And
have the people assemble
On
mourning day.
Jan 21,
2016