Coming Home

Poetry by | March 20, 2016

A month before I told Mama
I am coming home, she
enrolled herself in driving lessons
bought extra bookshelves
prepared all of her “You got fatter”-themed remarks
confiscated the coffee from the kitchen
On the latter parts of waiting, she
surrendered the keys to Dad
did not ask him for extra money
made the grocery list longer
searched for new cafés serving tea
She posted a status on Facebook
on my return
before the airplane’s wheels
touched the asphalted runway
Receiving the warmth of Mama’s embrace
and feeling her wrinkly palms
as I hand a plastic bag of sans rival
made me smell the Downy used on my bed sheets.
Welcome, she said.


Andrea D. Lim is a Mass Communication senior at Silliman University. She is the editor-in-chief of the Weekly Sillimanian. Home, for her, is very abstract. She was born in Pasig City, spent childhood years in Marikina and Bulacan, and studied in General Santos City from fourth grade to fourth year high school.

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