the town,
like a body for all of my childhood memories to hide in,
to age,
to grown with every ache.

the town once heard the girl in an empty house
silence traveling through the air
was more welcomed than the screaming down the hall.
wandering eyes stare out the frosted window, hoping of better days.

one time
the tree of sarrows wasn't just a tree
outside the empty house.
it was the cause of scraped elbows and ripped knees
the sunset
the sound of goodbye was a harder pill to swallow
than what was inside.

the town once smelled homemade sugar cookies
in the escape across the empty house.
the town didn't notice
the frosting & sprinkles
the mess being made
but the feeling of disatisment and longing.

remincing of 1973-
blue bell bottoms,
the thought of a pack of cigarettes in his hand
the embrace of young lovers.

the town did not care about the faraway land
and how the children dreamed of dancing
around the trees on the mountain side.

only the children, after 10 years
cared about how to escape.

to leave the town,
rip open the rib cage,
sew the heart with promises of return
tell the mind to be a little more quiet
and hold the hand of dreams less forgotten