Home

Home is defined by many things and perspectives

But most importantly by the way one lives

One perspective of home I give

Is found in pomegranates, olive and oak trees

In wheat and a simple wild red poppy 

In sunflowers and birch trees

They symbolize my journey

Of joy and sorrow

Growth and stagnation

Grounding myself and letting go...

My childhood neighborhood looks nearly nothing like it used to

Now torn down and replaced with student housing

Distorted and ghostly when I pass by

Yet still remain the olive trees rich with olive smell

Black pits stain the ground 

Contrasting its pale bark and rich leaves

Still the large wise oaks 

That protected me from the road

A reminder or soft echo of the adventures of my childhood

I'm reminded of three wise women 

contorted by tumors 

yet beauty exuded

These were the three pomegranate trees

They gazed and called for me 

With the sweetest of ruby jewels

Perfect for smacking their round red fruit

On the asphalt ground

To then claw open on the hood of a car

With amazing company

A dear friend and I laugh 

And stain our skin and clothes with the rich red-purple juices

We couldn't care less 

The pomegranates remind me of precious memories 

Of my passion for life and the ones I love

The wheat field outside my childhood home 

Was also home to field critters 

It smelled sweet and earthy

Wheat liken the late sun-kissed summer green in southern Germany

that changed golden by summers end

wild red poppies sprinkled its fields

I remember

When I felt alone across the sea

I looked to the wheat fields and poppies to remind me

that there is no such thing 

The sunflowers amongst the farmers' fields

Reminded me of the strength it is to stand for what you believe

They follow the direction of the sun 

And sometimes if there is none 

They face each other

A resemblance to kindness and resiliency

I am taken to the humble birch trees 

Surrounded by thick green grass and a trickling stream

Alongside my grandmother and I walked

A moment in time I see in mahogany 

Warm and rich with love 

Home is seen through many perspectives

This is one of my own