Brendan McAuliffe Brendan McAuliffe Poet Free verse

Home

Home is a place on the run 
It is the middle of the ride
The first stroke of the swim
It is the training and the race

The swim is the first room in the home 
It is where it all begins
Home is the smell of chlorine
It’s the early mornings and cold pool

After walking through the home the second room appears
The ride
Home is the hours spent on the road and trails 
It’s the ups and downs of the mountains
Home is the speed on the side of the road

The last room in the home is the run 
It's the miles spent on the track
Home is many pairs of shoes
It’s the fast and slow, the ups and downs, the early mornings and late nights
Visitors often say this is the best room of the home

While the small home is often overlooked
It works for those who see its true value
But on the other side of the home is the back yard
And the finish line is what it is all about 
And that is what they missed

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Beata Agustin September 15, 2026 at 10:45 PM Thanks for sharing this... exposing your thoughts through your unique poetic style. Welcome to Poetry Soup. I welcome you with the love of the Lord, expressed by John 3:16 of the Bible, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." Be blessed.

Alison A Smith nee Howarth September 12, 2026 at 3:45 AM This is a compelling extended analogy: home becomes a triathlon, with each “room” carrying the distinctive rhythm, effort, and atmosphere of swim, ride, and run. The recurring “Home is…” phrasing gives the free verse a steady, welcoming structure, while the backyard and finish-line image creates a satisfying final reveal—showing that the real value lies not only in the destination, but in everything lived through to reach it.