The Quiet House

The cereal box is still half full
The hamper's empty, the house is lull
No backpacks dropped by the door
No muddy sneakers on the floor
I cooked for four and ate for one
Looked at the clock — where have they gone?

I always said I'd love the peace
The silence I could finally keep
But now it's here and what I feel
Is something I can't quite conceal

This quiet house, this open space
I look around and see their face
In every corner, every room
A little joy, a little gloom
I raised them up to fly away
But nobody warned me about today
This quiet house — it's mine to fill
And I'm standing here, learning still

I called her twice, she called me back
Between her classes, on her track
He texts in emojis, three or four
That's twenty-two in boy-speak more
They're living big and living free
Just like I always hoped they'd be

So why do I feel lost at sea
When this was always meant to be
A chapter closing, turning page
A woman stepping off the stage
She played so well — now what's the play
When the kids have gone and she gets to stay?

This quiet house, this open space
I look around and see their face
In every corner, every room
A little joy, a little gloom
I raised them up to fly away
But nobody warned me about today
This quiet house — it's mine to fill
And I'm standing here, learning still

Maybe the quiet isn't empty after all
Maybe it's an invitation, not a fall
Maybe the woman who gave everything she had
Gets to ask — what makes her glad?
What fills her cup, what lights her eyes
What dream did she put aside?
She set the table all those years
Wiped their noses, dried their tears
Now the table's hers to set
For the woman she hasn't met — quite yet

This quiet house, this open space
I'm learning now to find my place
In every corner, every room
There's room for me to start to bloom
I raised them up to fly away
And now it's finally — my day
This quiet house — I'm mine to fill
And I'm standing here, standing still
Then taking one brave step until
The quiet starts to feel like — thrill

They took the noise.
They left the love.
And somewhere in this quiet house —
She's waking up.