Golden Fox Trail

The house that started it all.

It was a mansion, really;

Consisted of a fountain and a swingset.

Beams ran under the insanely high ceilings,

Huge windows displayed the gorgeous deck.

A trampoline outside along with the vast yard,

A crystal chandelier hung in the dining room.

I remember running around the entire house.

Out of breath, we took bubble baths in the jacuzzi.

I even remember the cats walking along the beams.

But then my mom started sleeping in the guest bedroom,

I overheard arguments I didn’t understand were about.

Before I knew it, my mom moved out,

And my dad couldn’t afford the house on his own. 

Choctaw Lake

The first vacation home, right on the lake.

A dock in the backyard with the same fish that stuck around.

It took a painfully long car ride to get there;

I didn’t know how used to it I’d eventually be.

It was cozy all the time, surrounded by friendly neighbors.

There was a rockwall and wake boat;

Fetching rocks pathed the way down. 

I only have good memories from here,

Tubing and climbing and playing all the time.

I did steal a stuffed animal from my friend Ty;

I have it to this day but haven’t seen him since.

I remember hiding behind the couch,

And getting myself into trouble. 

But soon we sold the house in which my room was a closet.

The Little Grey House

This house was smaller but still an average size;

We had the steepest hill for a backyard.

A secret passage was hidden in the basement.

My room was pink and my sister’s was blue;

There was a nice playground down the street.

It was just my sister, mom, and I,

But it never felt lonely.

I remember eating toast and binging Star Wars in Mom’s room.

When we moved in, the previous boys showed us around.

Sledding down the hill was so entertaining,

And we got bunnies to keep in the basement.

I remember putting princess stickers up on my wall. 

I got my most prominent scar when I lived here

From slitting my wrist open on a broken picture frame.

The Red Brick House

While the home was average,

The neighborhood had a community pool.

We had a playground in the center of the block,

And the house was incredibly comfy.

We even had neighbors close to our age.

We had almost settled on a different house before this one,

But I’m pleased we didn’t. 

I remember our playset and riding bikes to the pool.

We started hanging out with the neighbors, having slumber parties.

My dad started dating their mom, and we did everything together;

Went to church and parks and restaurants.

Soon enough they decided to get married.

The wedding was beautiful and the first I had been in.

We never spent another night in the red brick house.

Papaw’s

When my mom couldn’t afford the grey house anymore,

We moved in with my grandpa, her dad.

I shared a room with my sister,

But the backyard was enormous.

The house was smaller since it had just been him,

But we were in a new school district now.

A lot began to change at this point.

I remember leaving all of my old friends,

 And driving over an hour back and forth between parents.

I remember becoming friends with the kid that lived behind us,

And we were going to school where my mom went to school.

I hadn’t made any new friends,

Because my only friend left in the middle of the school year.

Then my mom met her childhood friend, Jamie.

Jamie’s

This was the most awkward house ever;

You had to walk through a bedroom to get to the master.

The dining table was in the dead center of a small kitchen,

And I mean the sink and stove on either side.

We turned the garage into a family room

And took on many other renovations.

Now we’ve made it almost perfect.

My sister and I had shared the absolute smallest room;

We had twin bunk beds and a quarter of a closet.

We added on to the house to create a new master;

My sister got the old one, of course.

The problem is that she has to walk through my room to get to hers.

I also have to deal with having three different doors in my room,

And no this doesn’t include a closet door.

The House Next Door

We moved into the house directly next to us.

The layout was almost identical,

But doubling the kids made us short a room.

A new family moved into our previous house;

They were so sweet and entertaining. 

We still had access to the community pool,

And everything was transitioning pretty smooth.

We played every game you could think of;

We even got a trampoline and more pets.

All was perfect until it wasn’t…

Neither parent could get along with the opposite’s kids.

When it became concerningly bad,

We left without a single goodbye.

I hadn’t known that would be the last time I saw them.

Troy’s

This was a condo, not a house actually.

There were three bedrooms and six people at once.

One living space with a kitchen, dining, and family room combined.

Three girls stayed in a single bedroom,

And two men would take turns in another.

There was a nice bike trail close by though,

And the cooking here was extravagant.

I remember my sister and I sharing a room neither of us belonged to,

And I remember my dad on a mattress in the living space.

We watched so much television it was insane,

I learned a lot when I was here.

I remember coming out of my usual shell,

But at some point Troy didn’t want us staying there anymore.

We eventually made our way elsewhere. 

The Office

This is the least house-like place I’ve ever lived.

It is truly a dentist’s office, my dad’s actually.

There’s an upper floor with mattresses, a fridge, and toilet,

And the basement had laundry and a shower.

The main floor is full with patient, waiting, and lab rooms.

There’s a Busken Bakery down the street,

And the Kenwood Mall across from it.

I remember getting extremely close with my dad and sister here.

We all basically shared a single room for everything.

I have a lot of great memories from games, music, and television.

There was a sense of comfort I had never experienced before.

I was honestly sad to leave it all behind,

But my dad got into a new long term relationship.

He still works there so it isn’t like I never see it anymore. 

Weller

There was nothing wrong with the house itself.

My room was probably the best I’d ever had.

The smell of the animals was pretty awful;

I don’t think they knew how to clean properly.

It was my dad’s new girlfriend and her daughter’s home;

The house didn’t feel so homely to us.

My sister wanted a place we could call our own. 

I remember spending the night in someone I hadn’t met’s bedroom.

We celebrated holidays with whom we didn’t even know.

The yard appeared too sad to do anything in,

And there just wasn’t much energy or action.

My sister had to stay in an older girl’s room;

She wasn’t given the option to make it her own.

We would soon move into a house for everyone.

Souffle Circle

This is the most realistic and normal house for five;

There are four bedrooms which is the exact amount needed.

The neighborhood is fun and friendly;

It’s finally safe for me to ride a bike here.

Almost the entire house was repainted to preference.

My sister decided to take the basement instead of third bedroom,

And now it’s kind of like a craft room of some sort.

I remember my dad getting a hot tub for almost free,

And when we had to put together our trampoline. 

I remember bringing a friend over for the first time,

Although we aren’t actually friends anymore.

There’s a lot more drama now than when we moved in.

My dad’s girlfriend and my sister don’t get along,

And I have to live through a lot of yelling and crying. 

Norris Lake

Now this is our current vacation home,

It’s actually a floating cottage…

A small house that floats on the lake.

There’s a loft made specifically for kids,

And you basically jump off the porch to swim.

There are two bedroom in case other adults visit

But pullout couches and mattresses for the kids.

I remember the most extreme tubing with my oldest friends

And having a movie night on the deck with a projector.

I remember starting a bonfire and eating s’mores,

And swimming all the way out to the marina sign.

We even get to take our dogs every time we go;

I think they like swimming there.

I want to have company with us more often.

In The End

There isn’t a real definition of home.

Homes aren’t always permanent,

And not necessarily somewhere you enjoy.

Homes don’t determine your personality.

Homes are simply there to keep you safe

And be there when you need a constant.

A reminder of what brought you here today.

Not all homes are houses.

You can’t live in too many;

You can’t live in too little.

No matter the shape,

And no matter the size;

Your home does not define you.

Not all homes are houses.