Home/sick — Summary

the wren might suspect I am finished with elsewhere

and home I find somewhat sour

being there so often at the end of the road

too late to get her silent way

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The speaker seems to be at home, or just back from somewhere, and the feeling is uneasy. The opening image is a wren, a small bird, that might sense the speaker has had enough of "elsewhere," enough of wandering or escaping. But arriving at home doesn't bring relief. The speaker finds it "somewhat sour," a mild, honest word that suggests disappointment rather than anger.

The reason may be repetition. The speaker is "there so often / at the end of the road," as if home is simply where every path runs out. The title, "Home/sick," plays on two ideas at once: longing for home, and being sick of it.

The last lines are the hardest to pin down. "Too late to get / her silent way" could refer to the wren, or to someone else entirely. The poem doesn't say. Judging by the tone, it hints at a missed chance or something left unresolved. The mood is quiet, restless, and a little regretful.

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