home

even though the sign says
there's still 27 kilometres to go
on the horizon
i can see a halo
at the bottom of storm clouds

through the driver's window
the halo spreads into
a line of orange light

closer now until
the line becomes disjointed
into orange street lights
and white house lights
and one of those is home

Paula Harris

Published in Takahe 41
January 2001