Behind the Cedar Curtain

Behind the cedar curtain
lives a family I have never seen,
but heavy on the air I smell
the scent of the clothes they wear.

The unmistakable fragrance,
the fabric softer insuring
they will be clothed in comfort
while they remain strangers.

They cannot be seen by those who walk by
nor can they see those who do.
Betrayed by their welcome sign
they are surrounded by their impenetrable wall.

There are tiny foot prints in the concrete,
even a Valentine heart with names.
How long ago was love pronounced,
did Cupid's arrow truly pierce their hearts?

The sidewalk is now covered in tattoos
leaves long fallen have left their portraits.
The tannin has painted them all brown,
their shapes have become blurred.

Just as the seasons transition
I now find myself doing the same.
Once an active father and husband
I have become a stranger inside my wall.

I no longer feel welcome...

Wow! Powerful and heartfelt!

a reply to: Night Star
Thanks Night Star. I have been going through a long relational drought. Oh, I have friends but not one I share my heart with. Perhaps my ATS friends have become my soul mates. I pretty much bare everything I am thinking here on ATS. So far you all have been gracious to me, for that I am thankful.