boarded up windows, cracks in the door,
overgrown lawn, falling fence pickets.
laughter and music breaking through,
a sense of serenity percolates.
family and friends weave in and out.
this may be a broken house,
but this is not a broken home.

a white picket fence, freshly mowed grass,
fancy cars parked in the circular driveway.
two parents scream at each other through the windows,
the three children hide under the table, crying.
a broken house? no, the house is fine,
but... a broken home? yes.
the home is damaged beyond repair.

rusty nails poking through the floor,
only accentuating the sordid atmosphere.
two parents kiss with tender and passion,
they greet their kids with luminous smiles.
a wilted rose seems to stand up straight,
a thread of hope gleams through the cracked window.
this may be a broken house, but never a broken home.