A stranger in the home

Mariah Christopher, ‘27

They share meals

but they don’t know 

who she is.

They share baths

but they don’t know 

who she is.

They share advice

but they don’t know 

who she is.

They share love 

but they don’t know 

who she is.

A stranger in 

the home, quiet like 

a mouse. No 

one dares to unfold,

the complexity of 

what she is about. 

Like a lion 

after prey, she stalks 

around the house. 

footsteps so quiet, you 

wouldn’t know that 

she’s about.

They share secrets

but they don’t know 

who she is. 

They share gossip

but they don’t know 

who she is.  

They share stories

but they don’t know 

who she is.

They are family

but they don’t know

who she is.

Away in her 

room, where she spends 

most of her 

days. The unspoken words 

slip out onto 

a page.

A stranger in 

the home, you won’t 

know what she’s 

thinking. The only one 

who truly knows 

her is her 

pen and paper.