when will I tell them
I’m leaving it all behind
traded it in for the
mountains and red dirt
beneath my feet
when will I tell them
their proximity is
collateral damage?
how will I convince them
I still carry them
with me
that I will return
sometimes, if only
to see their faces?
how can I say it
to woo them into
believing I know
my soul needs the
pines and the desert and
the wild space of
it all
how do I explain to them
that home isn’t here
without tearing a hole
in their chests?
I want them
to be happy for me
I want them to say
we understand and
we trust you
to choose right for yourself
even if that is rocks
and sky and bruised knees and
dusty nebulas.
I want them to say
go find your home
then come back and tell us
all about it.
That’s how I hope it goes.
But if it doesn’t
if they shake their heads
and say
how could you
this is a mistake
I will cry
but I will fly anyway.
5/11