I haven’t been back in years:
Home
There’s the red maple we climbed as kids
And, around the way, the river Pop took me fishing
Down the road- the old bridge
Where I stole my first kiss

Life today feels so far away from all this
It’s all stress and rush and blur
Grinding out ceaseless hours at work
Then dodging beeping horns and maniac taxi drivers
Just to get back to our shoebox apartment
‘Home’

It’s cooler here than I remember
Winter doesn’t mess around in these parts
Memories of Pop and I shovelling out
After the blizzard of who knows what year
Damn it I’m cold!
Never need a heavy coat back in the city

Fragments of my youth become whole here
It’s good we came to visit
Always wanted the kids to see
What I spoke so fondly of
Yet never seemed to remember
Until now

Mom and Dad are long gone, of course
Makes home bittersweet
But tonight
Gathered around the fireplace
We’ll laugh and cheer, we’ll reminisce and toast:
To Christmas

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