Come home, sweetheart

Come home
sweetheart
wherever you may be
today;
though you may lie
in a corner of the streets
and call strangers family;
or live in the country
or go moving about
from place to place
- you still have a home
and mom and dad
and your sister and brother
waiting to see you

we woke up one day
and found your room empty;
you were the quiet sort always
never told anybody
and just left us
and threw yourself
into the wide continent
perhaps moving from city to city

Come home
sweetheart
wherever you may be
today;
a festive call home
from a public phone
to speak with mama
and dad is not enough
and a hello to your teary siblings
does not bring a smile:
we want to hug that lovely girl
we all know –
Oh come home, sweetheart

Mum keeps your room
tidy like the day you left it;
mum tells everyone you’ll
be back someday;
it’s like she carries you in her
a second time:
O come home
sweetheart
wherever you may be
today