A Princess Torn
I look deep into the eyes of Blue
Surrounded by a small patch of pale skin
Treasures hidden behind a black veil
Gateways to the spirit contained within,
The Royal blood flows freely inside
Unlike the emotions held behind a dam
A trophy Princess for all to see
The figurehead for this male-oriented scam,
I see the contradictions in those eyes
Knowing my imagined freedom is a mirage
The love of my people and this desert land
Add more ammunition to my mental barrage,
To leave would break my heart in two
Staying will further extinguish the fire
Will these eyes reveal an empty shell
Or the shine of a woman reaching higher,
I look deep into the eyes of Blue
Wondering which course they will steer
As tears of conflict begin to fill
And blur the covered image in my mirror.
The Maze
Over the walls of stone
A voice carries weakly
I search for the path
As her fear calls to me,
Turning left and right
Running to the unknown
Charging into danger
Hearing the cries and moans,
Thoughts of torture rule
Fear of what I'll find
Images too unnerving
Flow through my mind,
The weak voice is stronger
Close to my unknown prize
Not knowing what's ahead
The anxiety starts to rise,
She appears around a corner
Staring with a watery gaze
Holding in her trembling hand
The Master key to the maze,
With a slight smile she turns
Opens the door to her freedom
I now know in my broken heart
She never needed me to come.
Remembrance
Ever since the first look
A glance turned to a stare
A twinkle of interest in her eye
A playful flip of her flowing hair,
My heart was gently touched
Forever leaving her treasured mark
Giving to me the elusive hope
To finally leave loneliness’s dark,
For years I flourished by her side
Gaining confidence and worth
Learning and accepting responsibility
More with each child's birth,
But I have had my last look
Only pictures and memories survive
If only I knew how to become one
Whose soulmate was still alive.
Selfish?
I should have left an hour ago
But I couldn’t leave her standing there
Lost, worried and confused
Rain dripping from her grey hair,
Her keys locked in her car
Groceries getting soaked in the rain
The look I saw in her eyes
Simply brought me too much pain,
Now she is all set and safe
And I turn my own ignition key
Already fifteen minutes late
To the place that I so want to be,
I click the seatbelt in place
Pull out into the evening traffic
If I hurry just a little bit
My arrival will be just fantastic,
Because my brother deserves this
He has been working hard to succeed
I want to be there to surprise him
As my pickup slowly picks up speed,
Let me text him real quick
I don’t want him to get all upset
“I’m on the way, little bro.
Just a few more minutes…” Oh SHIT!!,
The news article was short
The young driver dead at the scene
It said, Another senseless death
Of a self-important, selfish texting teen.
The Final Grain
I sit watching the final grain of sand
Fall through our marriage hourglass
Knowing that when it hits bottom
It will all fade slowly into the past,
High hopes left to come crashing down
Shattered dreams litter the floor
Such lovely potential left silent
Leaving us all wanting so much more,
Wrong turns and thoughtless choices
Leading us to this abrupt dead-end
Ignoring warnings and second chances
That heaven continued to mercifully send,
So the last tiny grain comes to a stop
With a force that shakes our world apart
Finally on my broken, sorrowful knees
I ask for patience and love to mend my heart.
Unshakeable Tie
Like the faint smoke
at the end of a fired gun
You drift out of sight
After your planned disruption,
The impact you leave
Mirrors the bullet's effect
Here and Gone in an instant
Leaving me the emotional wreck,
I'm picking up the pieces
After another stormy season
Uncontrolled, sustained havoc
Without a Rhyme or Reason,
I know the storms will come again
I always place myself in its path
Willing to take the punishment
Like taking a razorblade bath,
Sometimes I wish and pray
that tomorrow you'll be gone
But I know you'll always be
My perpetual, Prodigal Mom.