I used to hate the sight of it
That green and beige duffel bag
Perched at the top of the stairs
Like a zipper adorned gargoyle
I wondered if you loved it more than me
Because you always took it with you
While I always got left behind
Mom put a pushpin in the globe
To show me where you'd be
It never made your absence easy
Back then I didn't understand
Why you kept leaving
I was angry at them for calling you away
I was angry at you for going
Yet the passing of years yields wisdom
Now I have my own duffel bag
My mission is a different one
And my destination's not the same
But I think I finally understand
I've seen the faces of a hundred nations
They're beautiful, but brokenhearted
Family isn't defined by blood or birthplace
Home isn't found within four walls,
A city's limits, a country's borders,
Or on one side of an ocean
It's nowhere on this side of heaven
These days I've got my own globe with pushpins
But the real map is the names I carry in my heart
For the scars I wear will fade away
When this world is remade
So until the end becomes the beginning
This is just my sojourner skin
About the Creator
D.K. Shepard
Character Crafter, Witty Banter Enthusiast, World Builder, Unpublished novelist...for now
Fantasy is where I thrive, but I like to experiment with genres for my short stories. Currently employed as a teacher in Louisville.
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More stories from D.K. Shepard and writers in Poets and other communities.
Standing While Falling
Quotation from Friedrich Nietzsche "He who wrestles long with monsters should beware lest he himself become a monster. And if you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss also gazes into you. Man is not destroyed by suffering, but by the meaning he makes of it."
By LUCCIAN LAYTH5 days ago in Critique
Comments (9)
Seen through the eyes of a child with all the hurt, progressing to understanding. What lessons for us all, and reminders. Always remember what the child feels with no context to be had and relate/operate/communicate/soothe/extend patience, grace, and love from THAT lens. Many thanks for writing D.K.!
Wonderful poem & progression in it.✅ Powerful lines: “ I wondered if you loved it more than me Because you always took it with you While I always got left behind”🥺. Excellent conclusion.💖
You are so talented DK - This is just beautiful. I take it your Dad was in the military or a profession where he traveled. This was absolutely beautiful - I am learning so much at an older age about something I always wanted to do. --- Nicely done!!!
You know, DK, there's a reason why you are one of my favourite writers and you being a friend it is not! Thats just a nice extra! its because you often take normal themes and subjects but dig deep and find interesting ways to develop those themes with heart, but never not artfully. i love those las couple of lines because often we only understand things peple do when we are children, when we are adults and have similar situations and callings. well done on this one, some of your best work, DK!
Well-wrought! These were much like my thoughts when I penned the song Dweller: Far more important than where my body dwells Is how I choose to dwell in my body.
Just beautiful, DK. This resonated with me so much :)
So, so profound - starting with a child's sadness and concluding with hope of a world made new. You've taken us on a journey, D.K.! This might just be one of my all-time favorites.
Beautiful work. The lines about taking the duffel bag and if he loved it more than you broke my heart just a little.
This had so many layers, D.K. Public servants should always be praised. We are nothing as a society without them - their duty, their determination, their care.