by Grace Pappadellis ’29 on November 20, 2025
Portfolio
When I am away it will start off slow
The soft hum of summer will rise to my window
The sunlight will fall warm on my bed quilt
And my decorations will symbolize home in the best way they can
With each step I walk I will hope I have a purpose
Even though I am alone I know there is something ahead of me
I will look around and see no one I know
Only glimmers of hope that I will soon know them all
By autumn, my legs will be frosty and splotched
My skin will be fair and my hair will be short
I will be reminded of the way the summer once sang
I will be reminded of our back porch view of the yard,
Saturated with acrylic you would use to paint,
Paint every place we love, and every place I miss
When the holidays come I’ll be out and about
My cheeks will be frigid until I enter a room with a firelit glow
I’ll wish for a hug or a celebration of the snow
I will wish for your food and the inexpressible feeling of being home
I will meet my new friends and dance through the streets
I’ll forget what I once didn’t want to remember
My clothes will fit me right and I’ll crack my window to let the night wind kindle my heart
My heart will be warm from the new glances and exchanges
I will feel full of everything I am not anymore
But I will miss being looked at by someone I truly know, being heard, being held, being full
Although I will be gone I will always be home
Home will be the way I sleep in the same position
The way I choose my favorite foods
The way I share my words, feathering each letter across the page
I promise to come home and sink into the elation once again
The warm promise of the stoic evergreens and twirling hallways leading to my rest
I will watch the candles flicker and I am underneath a blanket
I will fully rest with you because we could never really rest before
I will feel every moment when I can
I will relish in being away
But home is the vacation I plan to take