In youth

the words were 

loaned to me

from others

as their source

 

Till that day

one refused

to leave

and camped

on my front porch

 

It said ...

“I have 

a lot of friends

no need

to be

alone”

 

And one

by one

they climbed

my steps

to stay

— and call me home

 

(The New Room: August, 2024)