Sitting with one knees pressed hard up against the cabinet
The other grazing the dishwasher's door
Feet pressing down hard on the crossbars of the stool
In this kitchen
Of the house that isn't ours to keep
It's only a borrow
From a friend of an enemy
My elbows resting on the counter
Chin in my pellet stove warmed hands
Longing for the soft light of a candle
I gaze into the world of pixels
Another episode of another show
With a big, happy, laughing family
They aren't perfect
They've got their quirks
But it's real enough to make me smile
As the tears run down my cheeks at all the happy parts
And all the sad ones
I still laugh in all the right places
Laughs full of warm salty tears streaming from my eyes
As my glasses scoot down my nose
Slowly but surely
Inching away
Just like the "happy" family I once thought I knew