We Can Never Go Home

you must give everything
to make what's your own
but you can never go back
after that

you can never go home again

despite all your regrets

you can never go home again

despite your mind and its longing

you can never go home again

from the face of nostalgia
into the real of time's sacrifice

comes one answer so true. . .

you can't ever, go home again

as time marches on

all things will go on

for better 

for worse

all things will eventually be gone

for better
for worse

you will always be different

eventually 
never can you change
the fact that you change

eventually

you can never go home

is one truth 

that will always be true

so never hold on  

        too tightly
as all things 

inevitably 

they always move on 

eventually

for better

for worse

we can never go home

for that beautiful place. . .

will always and only

  ever be just a memory

Author's Note

Reviews

[Robert Trakofler]

Yeah I tried to go home once they kicked me out, terribly humiliating! Seriously this was very capturing and true to your voice. I liked the natural flow and rhythm. The sadness was as matter of fact as the subject and came across very well. I think I may need a glass or three of wine after that one.

[4000Years]

Pardon me while I get philosophical and even a little religious with this response. This brings to mind a song by The Byrds called "Turn, Turn, Turn," which was based on Ecclesiastes 3. In fact, it pretty much quotes the entire thing. Both speak on the nature of life and its constant change, the fact that it will always be changing.

"To everything (turn, turn, turn)
There is a season (turn, turn, turn)
And a time to every purpose, under heaven
A time to be born, a time to die
A time to plant, a time to reap
A time to kill, a time to heal
A time to laugh, a time to weep"

"Turn, Turn, Turn" - The Byrds


"There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:
a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance"

Ecclesiastes 3, verse 1 - 4

Life is change, nothing but change, and there is a time for everything. You can only go forward, not back. You can only push through the bad times until it is time for the good to come again. Then you must prepare to the time when the bad will once again be upon you. When it does, you must fight again for the good times. You can never go home to the life you once knew; you can only work toward a new, better life.

Well done. I greatly enjoyed this poem.

4K

[Davidgeo]

Very interesting observations.

[Diane]

Home. It's so true. I really enjoyed this.

[Mitchell J.U.]

Home as our origination. You can go home in your mind but no other path leads back to our points of origin. Thanks for sending me the request.

[Chris Shaw]

These lines remind me so much of my childhood home, living with parents and four siblings. At the time you don't appreciate what you have. When you leave and reflect in later years, that place can become an always home. It does for me because I have happy memories of our time together as a family. The loss of my Dad and one of my brothers makes those memories even more special. I do know I was fortunate and there are going to be many who don't feel that way. Greetings from across the pond David.

Chris

[John the Baptist]

Makes me think of Thomas Wolfe. Actually, the concept of some idyllic home you can't retrieve is something of a myth. Wherever we are, we tend to be dissatisfied.

[Davidgeo]

Only superficially should it remind you of Thomas Wolfe. I'm just writing about how the past can only ever be memories and no matter how hard we try to recreate them, things will always be different because change is an inevitable part of living. 'You Can't Go Home Again' is more so about ideology, perceived betrayal and hatred layered over that concept but with more of an eye toward the social/political/ideological issues of that time (capitalism, fascism, and the psychological realities of self redemption). What it should remind you of is Ella Winter who gave Wolfe the idea for the title of that book but not so much the content/story... there's far more to Wolfe's book than that.