Sage House

I sit in a small hallway on the 2nd floor
of a huge house, one made before the time
when space was not a premium
and square footage ran amuck

To my left, two boys from Parsons,
the house I called home for 5 years
closed because of lack of funds
memories of past kids and staff
run through my mind as a tear falls
down my groggy face

Working overnights is not easy
despite the free time to post on Friendster
do homework, watch movies, and chill,
two full-time jobs have taken its
toll through the years
and I sit here an older man than I really am

To my right, two older kids on level
polite and humorous
I sometimes wonder what they're doing here
but it comes back to me when I read their histories
abuse, neglect, abandonment, and trauma
much of which inflicted by their parents

Behind me, two kids in their own rooms
violated repeatedly, and now violators themselves
it is a vicious cycle
At my feet, another load of laundry
which makes at least 15 for this week
Outside, the sounds of the scrub jay
a red-tailed hawk, and a babbling creek

This house, a haven from evil
a home filled with love
a place where there is hope