the sound of the rain
on those rare summer nights
when i can sleep to my favorite song
a white dog
that was once small and almost all black
sleeping by my feet
breathing slowly
turning belly up
the pictures on the wall
the first one from a few years ago
the last christmas grandpa was alive for
my mom gave me the camera
wrapped in pretty red and green paper
the last one from graduation
with friends i haven’t seen in a few months
i never got to fill the entire wall
the orange candles
i used to lit every night
to write in that journal with a fancy ink pen
all the things i hoped for tomorrow.
tomorrow
is here
and home
becomes there
becomes then
becomes a memory
of summer rain, a sweet dog
orange candles, fancy pens
old pictures, old friends
home becomes a memory
then, there, once
and sometimes,
when it’s too cold outside
memories become home
here, now,
always.