Home

Deep down there, down in the underbelly;
In the place where people in their right minds never go
The darkest of the dark, and the lowest of the low

There is a strange kinship here
Born of that sense of fear
That comes crawling across your skin as you walk
Down the dark deserted paths 

Where silence stalks
You worse than any demon can

The spots, the stains, the scars of endless years
The rusted roads, the potholed steel
The upchucked remnants of each rotting meal
That spot the streets, and the soles of your shoes
As you squelch over the decadence and decay
Of a city...

A city...
That seems so familiar
From yesterdays nightmare
It seems born to life
From your own memories
Gone awry...

As your slow steps
Of remembrance
Turn to run
You start to recognise
The mutant memories
That come to life

Memories of other places
You walked at other times
You and I were younger then
More curious, more open

You ran then
To the excitement of places like

                                      ....this
Places never seen
But warned against
By those who knew better.
Son, don’t go there!
It’s not a nice place, that.
They sell death and drugs
‘Really, Dad!’

Eyes shining, we wandered
In search of forbidden fronds
Of Mary Jane,
And more dangerous
Pills, that sent you up
Flying into the sky
Around the world
Clothed in rainbow colours
Of ecstasy

I searched out such places once...

It’s strange
That today
Home does not seem home anymore
The places i frequent become stranger
As i stay there longer
And then...
In every new city i visit
I find a place just like this
Tarnished, broken, littered with the remnants of broken dreams
Broken screams
Fading screams
Fading, whispered dreams...

And here,
Among the silent whispers
The fading pictures
Of times gone by
Finally...


I find a place that feels like home.