The Trip Back Home by John Grey

Look at that,
kids he went to school with,
pumping gas at Andy’s Auto,
bussing tables at Denny’s.
And there’s Chad,
twenty years added to his face
when it should have only been ten,
his nose already red with booze
and scars on his chin
from his latest crackup.
Dale’s sweeping streets.
Ernie’s bouncing off the running board
of the trash pickup truck.
At least, Bobby can afford a pickup…
just not four good tires
And Lucy sure looks cute in that pink uniform,
with Bert’s Diner stitched into the pocket.
Veronica’s pushing a pram.
Can’t tell if there’s one or two in there.
She was as smart as the teacher
when she was in school.
He’s only home for a few days,
staying at his mom’s house,
catching up with friends.
But how do you catch up with kids
who’ve fallen so far behind?
Mostly by keeping how well he’s doing
to himself.
So he has no college degrees.
No six figure job in the city.
No snazzy apartment overlooking the river.
He’s learned you can go home again.
But only if someone’s willing
to take your place.

*****

John Grey is an Australian poet, US resident. Recently published in That, Dunes Review, Poetry East and North Dakota Quarterly with work upcoming in Haight-Ashbury Literary Journal, Thin Air, Dalhousie Review and failbetter.