To the one who felt like home

Then, I sought refuge in your tender chest…

Not because I was lost,

but because I needed to feel found.

I was tired not just of the day,

but of everything I was carrying inside me.

And when I hugged you,

you didn’t ask why.

You just wrapped your arms around me,

and started stroking my hair gently.

You talked so much,

so softly,

as if your words could untangle the knots I couldn’t explain.

But I was sleepy… really sleepy.

I couldn’t make sense of anything you said,

and I didn’t try to.

I just wanted peace.

So I whispered,

“Will you be quiet for five minutes?”

And I pulled you closer

as if silence was all I ever needed.

And you listened.

You didn’t say a word after that.

You just stayed there

still, warm, and quiet.

So quiet,

that I could hear your heartbeat.

And in that moment,

I wasn’t dreaming,

but I was safe.

Five minutes later,

I let you go.

But something changed.

That day, I understood

five minutes can be so, so short

when you’re with someone

who feels like home.

With you,

I didn’t just rest, I healed.

That day,

I found home

not in walls, not in places,

but in you.

- Mehfuza Sultana