Poem about empty promises

He leaves
and comes back

He leaves
1 week
2 weeks
6 months
2 years

Every time it gets worse
he comes home
and with no thought of how I feel
he leaves

When he first gets home he promises
“I won’t be back in there”
as he complains to us
about the thick metal bars
foul food
and nothing to do
later I wake up and
he leaves

With no info of:
when he’ll be back
what he did
or why
he just
leaves

We communicate slightly
only through phone
his picture is a dusty memory in my mind

He says “I miss you boy”
and I say “I miss you too”
but do I really mean it
do I really miss him

“I wish you would come see me” he says
but do I want to?

so I can walk through the metal door
and see his orange suit
scruffy face
sad eyes

so now you see?
let him leave

-Shawn Hanning