time to go home
they found him in the kitchen
doing parlor tricks for the little ones
like separating his thumb from his hand
or making quarters disappear only to
reappear in unusual places
c’mon pops it’s time to go
—time to go where
time to go home
—but I thought this was my home
when they led him out of the kitchen
all the little ones begged
for him to stay
september two thousand twenty-four
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
jdubqca 
so sad.