deepundergroundpoetry.com

Familiar Stranger

Don't get me wrong, I'm happy and grateful to be back in town
And yet behind my smile I can't help but hide a small forwn.
For while part of me falls back into some routines like things are still the same
Another part of me feels like a complete stranger with just the same name.
Like old times, I saw the familiar beautiful sunsets, saw the famous Joshua trees
I had a great family night with the parents at the ever so popular Applebees.
But like a retired athlete who tries to step back into the game and realizes he's no longer hin his prime
I step back onto these streets trying to reconnect with the past, only to realize that I'm behind several years worth of time.
It's not so easy going from military to civilian life, to go back to everything you've left behind
No matter how long it's been, it's still shocking at the amount of differences you'll find.
People I was close with have moved, spread all around, living on their own
Friends I left as freshmen are about to graduate; it's somewhat strange to see how much they've grown.
People say that I haven't really changed at all, that I'm still the same old me
In reality, I've actually changed quite a bit, and I'm not the same person I used to be.
That, along with the passed time, sometimes makes me feel as much as a stranger that I was in Italy or Rome
However, in the end, I am still extremely happy and blessed to be back in this small town I call home.