home is where you find your umbrella
on a rainy day

home is where you light the fireplace
stock up on milk, wine and chocolate
and favorite movies
to hunker down during a blizzard

home is where you shelter-in-place
honoring your family
as a pandemic you all face

home is where your children
take their first steps
say their first words
ride their first bikes

it's where you realize that
your little girl has grown up
as you watch her ride off in a limo
(with a boy you have threatened)
to attend their senior prom

after her wedding
home is the place that feels so empty . . .
until the grandchildren arrive
and put dirty shoes on your furniture
jelly handprints on the walls
but have the best hugs for grandma

yes, home is the place
where your hair grows grey
and your body gets a little fluffy
your cheeks get a little puffy

a cane becomes your third leg
trips to doctors and hospital
a pleasant day out of the house
from that home you make your final arrangements

when there is nowhere else to go
go home