The locks were changed
When I came home
My key didn’t work anymore
Because I stood my ground
And declared I wouldn’t let her go
I slept on the deck that night
And when the sun came up I left
With my oversized purple canvas bag
Now holding everything I owned
The yellow boxes of M&Ms
I was supposed to sell
For a school fundraiser
Became the only thing I ate
For weeks
Keeping my body alive
As I wandered around the city
Looking for places to sleep
Only sixteen
With nowhere to go
The hardest days were when it was cold
And the nights when the rain poured down
Stormy gray skies above my head
The Earth’s bitter tears, streaming
To match my perpetual mood
Of hopelessness and fear
I’ve always hated October
But this one was the worst
Couch surfing can only get you so far
And sleeping in my girlfriend’s car
Was never warm enough
At some point
You have to find some stability
Just to keep yourself sane
Ending up with friends and roommates
Who were lovable junkies and tweakers
Was the best I could do
Before I finally broke down
And begrudgingly made the call
That dreaded white flag
Admitting defeat
Feb 7 2026