Stranger at the door

Insidiously you crept in, in the guise of a friend, a guardian, a protector​​ 

A friendly face, I opened the door and let you in without a second thought.

We​​ began to chat. You told me you’d come to look after me, to make sure nothing bad happened, to me or anyone else.

You would protect me from the dangers of the world, you would watch over my house and keep me safe.

I thanked you, told you to take a seat, made you a cup of tea and readied a room for you.​​ 

Stay as long as you like, I said. You are more than welcome.​​ 

From that day on, our relationship began to change.​​ 

At first it was great, you did make me feel safe!

But You weren’t really here to protect me, that was all a ruse

A clever and cunning, well devised, subterfuge

A front behind which you concealed your true nature,

Your malevolent intentions, your dastardly plan

I was naïve, I was kind, I was most Solicitous​​ 

You were wily and cunning and​​ most duplicitous​​ 

You began to take over,​​ mi casa​​ es​​ tu casa

Soon I no longer had a say. You were no longer my guest.

I became your prisoner, you imposed your rules, you lay down your law

In chains you put me, iron clad, you took over each room one by​​ one,

Until I occupied a mere square foot, on the floor, by the door

I tried to stake my claim, to regain control, to take back my home,

But as I did, you pushed me out completely, locked the door behind me,

Left me on the street outside, in the cold and alone.

I kept knocking, banging, screaming let me back in,

I rammed the door, but neither it nor you flinched.

I sat on the curb and I watched through the window.

I saw you move through the house, as if it had always been yours

I wasn’t even an​​ afterthought, as you set the table and ate,

Put your feet up by the fire, tucked yourself into bed at night

Erased without a trace, my entire occupation.

Seeing this, I began to question and doubt,

Had I once lived there? Was that my house? Had I been​​ locked out?

In the beginning I could shake this off, of course I did, I remember,

But the more I watched you operate, the more I saw you move through the​​ 

house,​​ 

So naturally, with such an air of assuredness and entitlement,

The more that memory started to fade to doubt,​​ 

The streetlight that had afforded me the opportunity to peer into the house slowly dimmed to a flicker,

I could just about see the house, the feeble gleam of the glossy paint on the front door and window frames.

I watched from the​​ curb, as the light faded to darkness, and your house finally disappeared.​​