“If Home Is”
If home is water,
Then it flows down a waterfall
And eventually brushes past coral lying along the ocean floor
If home is a snail,
Then it slithers down a sandy beach,
Leaving a silky streak of slime
That the sun dries up slowly
If home is a game,
Then it ends far too soon
Yet the sensation it leaves lingers
If home is a person,
Then he or she has no face, only shadows
Or perhaps the face is hidden behind a mask
If home is a smell,
Then it is always changing, whispering
Sometimes fiercely, other times softly
If home is a question,
Then it asks only of value and importance
If home is an answer,
Then it is the simplest and the most complex ever thought of
If home is a memory,
Then it remains vivid and clear,
Even at the end of your days
If home is anticipation,
Then it is like watching dough rise in an oven
Maybe it will be a batch of cookies or a loaf of bread
Almost perfect, with just a small area slightly overcooked
If home is dependable,
Then it is the foundation that which holds everything up
If home is love,
Then it is as true as anything ever was,
Though no one said it was always easy
If home is a secret,
Then it is the most important one
If home is a monster,
Then it screams and it hides
If home is pain,
Then it’s a sweeter pain
Than any other
If I gave home a description,
It would be:
Perfection at its worst,
Imperfection at its absolute best
-Mariel A.
poet, Loft student, high school sophmore
