ellensburg

this is what i feel when i visit my hometown. i go there to see my family, but i hate the place.

this small town is a w***e
pulling me in and draining me
of the lifeforce i had to steal
to get away from home.
wheat fields and alcohol
desperately substitute the
lights and the people and
the open doors that were
so easily reached only
100 miles ago.
the smell of claustrophobia
is much like the scent of dirt
within the city limits.
my family greets me with
unknowing smiles and hugs
and though they are no surrogate
comfort, they cannot drown out
the silence of this fake city.
the subliminal suicide
plays constantly on the radio
and everyone here loves it.