The Son Who Stayed

I wrote a prayer from the perspective of the Prodigal Son in my previous post. This is a reflection from the perspective of the Elder Son, the one who stayed behind to be his father’s heir.

What things in your life right now do you do only for the sake of responsibility? How has your unintended and subconscious bitterness and resentment hurt you and the people around you? What are you still longing for that you have not acted on (yet) because your sense of duty always seems to be greater than your own passion?

The Son Who Stayed
by eric santillan

I also wanted to leave.
But then he left in the middle of the night,
Like a thief
Who stole my dreams away.

I’ve never seen you cry before
That day
You looked out the window
With lifeless eyes.

One day you finally smiled
At me.
I almost did not hear you say, “Time to move on…”
Because the only thing I saw were your sad eyes.

I also wanted to leave.
But then life happened,
Like a thief
That stole my hopes away.

And so here I am
Looking out the window at the road ahead.
Longing and waiting
With you.

Check the other poems in this series:

Prayer of the Prodigal Son