Breaking the Nest

Keys in my hand, sweat on my palm,

Pack in the trunk, mom’s tears like a psalm.

Boxes stacked, dreams wrapped in tape,

Walls once safe now feel like escape.

Posters down, dust ghosts on the wall,

Echoes of laughter, a childhood call.

Microwave meals, no chef in sight,

First night alone, this feels too tight.

Move out the zone, I’m breaking the nest,

Fumbling steps, but I’m doing my best.

Move out, move out, sky’s where I roam,

Out in the world, no place like home.

Landlord’s glare, rent due at noon,

Bills stack high like a paper monsoon.

Laundry piles, dishes in the sink,

Freedom tastes bitter, not what you think.

Neighbors loud, walls thin like a sheet,

Ramen dinners, cold floors on my feet.

But in the chaos, I start to bloom,

Paint my life fresh, new colors consume.

Move out the zone, I’m breaking the nest,

Fumbling steps, but I’m doing my best.

Move out, move out, sky’s where I roam,

Out in the world, no place like home.