Family

A Poem by Chris Bunton

What is family?
I’ll tell you what I think.

Family is a bunch of people,
you are tied to for life.

Whether you like it or not.
They are there, and share it.

Even if they hate you,
they bear the title and stains.

Whether it’s your child,
Or mom, or uncle, or dad.

There’s a place in your life,
where they exist and judge you.

You might be required,
to accept them, or guilted to.

You might hate them,
but there they are in name.

They might hold you back,
and keep you down in shame.

They might be a place of guilt,
pain and regret of deeds done.

An unfinished train wreck,
that floods your memory of them.

If you’re lucky your people,
are a joy to be with and love.

But for many of us,
Family is a required pain we hold.

It’s something we seek to shed,
and remove the memories that cling.

Till the next funeral comes,
and we all pretend to care.

“We need to get together!”
“We need to have a meal!”

But a week turns into years,
and no one seems to be there.

The patriarch is dead,
and soon we will be too.

Good riddance. 
Don’t let the door hit you.

Till we all cross the river,
and join through that tunnel of light.

To have a grand meal,
where none of us want to fight.

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Bio: Chris Bunton is a writer, poet and blogger from Southern Illinois. He has published in several magazines, and has written a poetry Ebook called “Against the Man” and an Addiction Recovery Ebook called “Made Free: Overcoming Addiction“

Follow Him on Medium: https://chris-bunton.medium.com/

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