by Mercy B.
· 04/01/2026
Published 04/01/2026 17:32
Turned the corner,
just like always,
and there it was.
The porch light, on.
Not my light, not my porch.
And that gnome.
A little red cap,
chipped paint on its cheek.
Right where the roses
used to claw at the steps.
A different kind of welcome.
Someone's idea of charming.
Not mine.
And the windows,
curtains I don't know,
pulled tight.
Just a house now.
Not mine.
#alienation #displacement #home #ownership #unfamiliar place
4 likes · 4 comments
The gnome part just didn't really do it for me.
Fair enough. I was just trying to think of the most jarring thing to see on a porch that used to be mine.
the roses clawing at the steps felt a bit weird.
I mostly just remember them being really overgrown and thorny but i get how that reads.
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