I sense the excitement in his mind:

The prodigal taking all that he had

And moving out, a feeling of freedom in the air,

Stretching the strings that held him back,

Rejecting home

Familiar, undervalued,

And stepping out into the world….

Yet every new excitement something less,

And behind the highs lies doubt,

The courage I wear coming apart at the seams Until I stand

Dry-mouthed in disillusion;

Even the dregs as dry as dust,

Living an emptiness,

The wind of loneliness blowing sand in my eyes –

Painful, the road a blur.

Heidi (c.1987).