Feels Like Home

being halfway across the world watching news reports

and the borders are closing and i’m in a country

where i don’t belong and i’m scared

as i sit on a plane, filled with people in masks

want to get home, need to get home

on a full flight of students

trying to get back home

we’ve all been told to go home

and i still have one country to go

i have to go home.

waiting in an airport in Ireland

a ghost town, no one there

sat at a table watching half empty planes

masks and no visible mouth in sight

talks of everything closing here too

i have to go home.

getting into my country

no checks, no comment

two weeks of quarantine

and then we’re in lockdown

i’m trapped, i’m trapped at home.

months of panic and silence

racing thoughts and loneliness

shielding, shielding

spring turns to summer

summer turns to autumn

i’m still here.

university half open

autumn turns to winter

lockdown again

haven’t seen the people I know for over a year

seen a few people

but not enough

please, i feel alone.

racing thoughts and little sleep

cold weather and dark days

they give us hope and take it back

i just want to feel like i’m home.