When my commute to work is longer than usual thanks to the man trying to beg the driver for a free ride; the school kids who keep ringing the bell for the stop although they don’t want it; when the weather abuses me – be it the wind knocking me around, the rain saturating me, the sun scorching me or the snow blanketing me
I find myself thinking
I wish I was home
When I get to work and see I’m back with the mixed bag of nuts I call my co-workers; the man who wears layers of clothes with holes in his shoes and always ask you to press is floor on the elevator even though he’s standing next to the buttons; the woman who looks like Michael Jackson from the “Got Your Nose” South Park episode with make-up done by Tammy Faye Baker and dressed in fashions from the 60’s, 70’s & 80’s; the two guys who during their workday of various maintenance issues and pick up or delivery of mail they dip out to their car where they’ve got stashed a drink, a beer and a joint.
Gotta love a government worker
And again I find myself thinking
I wish I was home
Eventually, I am released
Able to go back to the place I longed to be
A ride train ride with the same rambunctious teens and stinky panhandlers daily
Two bus rides with more teens
Talking too loud on their cell phones or to friends sitting right next to them
With cheap headphones & cell phones playing loud scratchy music unwontedly filling my life
with Gucci Mane, Trey Songz & Lil’ Somebody
Trudging home after school with their babies in tow when they’re mere babies themselves
A stop at the grocery store to grab something for dinner
And I’m almost home
Key in hand
I make my way in and drop my bags
I’ve finally made it
Home
Only to be greeted by
A dirty kitchen with a mixture of dinner dishes from the night before and those of an after school
snack
My bathroom appearing to have exploded with every hair product and toiletry available for
Purchase
A trail of coats, book bags, books, random papers and the dishes from that snack
everywhere kids have been through my house
I go in search of the culprits
Finding a group of teenage girls huddled in a bedroom
My daughter’s carefree attitude when she ask what’s for dinner
Like nothing’s wrong
Like she’s come home and cleaned as she’s supposed to
Like her trail personal trail of destruction isn’t everywhere an eye can rest
Before I lose it
Before I hurt something or someone
I put everyone
Including my daughter
OUT
And begin to reorganize my home
Now thinking
I’d rather be any place
But home right now