Though you may not come home happy,
you do come home changed.
That is what the trip was for.
The door is the same. The handle,
the same. Same couch. Same lamp.
Same chair. But the one who opens
the door is not the same as before.
You can pretend if you want.
Most do: Act the old way until
they forget they are new.
Sometimes, the change takes charge.
Sometimes it invites itself
to dinner. And then breakfast.
By lunch, even the dishes are wondering
what will happen next.
(my son just returned from 10 days at camp–wow, what a difference 10 days can make!)