Returning Home Poem by J.K. Patrick

On the outside,
It's just another house.
But only on the outside.
Opening the door,
I step inside.
This is home.

Familiar faces, familiar voices.
Smiling, talking, laughing.
This is home.

Familiar smells.
Cookies in the oven on Sunday evenings.
Barbecued chicken on the back porch.
Dad's cologne, mom's perfume.
Flowers in a vase.
This is home.

Memories are evoked.
Playing games on Monday nights.
Telling my parents about how Homecoming went.
This is home.

What once seemed important just makes me smile now.
Locking my brother out of my room.
Arguing for the most meaningless reasons.
But still always loving each other,
No matter what.
This is home.

The special feeling you get
When you know you're where you belong.
When you know that you're in the right place.
That is home.

Home is family.
Home is support.
Home is safety.
Home is familiarity.
Home is love.
Home is heaven.
This is home.