Third Chair

I lived on the back porch,
it felt right to me,
being there,
alone,
and I didn't care that I always said I was listening for lightning,

I knew I could hear it,
I could,
but most of you would tell me it was thunder,

and that made sense,
but I just wanted to figure out how long I could stay here,
with everything upstairs,

writing things down,
and being all the better,
without you,
and them,
and for having done it