Strangers

Do you know what it is
to be a stranger in your own home?

To come to visit
instead of live.
To reach for a cup
and find the plates.
To realize, one day,
that your key no longer fits?

Do you know what it is
to be a stranger to your family?

For your mother to tell you lies
about her whereabouts,
like a teenage daughter.
For your father to warn you about traffic
implying you shouldn't come to visit.
For you to realize, one day,
your "i love you" text messages
are actually a template in your phone.

Do you know what it is
to be a stranger to yourself?

To not know what to do
when the future is right around the corner.
To no longer know what you want in life
or if you want life at all.
To understand stranger danger
as not being directed at others,
but to be afraid of no longer knowing yourself.