Swing In A Tree

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

“Art”

An abstract on pink

Large eyes and flaring hair

A mom

A dad

A son

Stick legs and square torsos

Proudly he displays the family

We applaud

We exhibit it to friends

We cherish it

Preserved within the folds of a treasured scrapbook

The child draws his world

Pen gripped by small fingers

A circle

A continuation

A union

Connected by squiggling lines

of trust, happiness, and love

We pause

We notice its significance

We cherish him

Preserved within the folds of embraces and smiles

Monday, August 1, 2011

“Ambition”

His ambition

fascinated her—a reflection

of her own drive

for ultimate

control in answering only to

her own wishes.

He drew her in

with his passionate promises

whispered in bed

while her husband

and children slept in innocence

and ignorance.

On moon filled nights

she pledged her bright future to him,

desperately

clinging to him.

Crumbling her disillusionment

within her fist.

Wagering all

against a bid for happiness

with a new life

centered on him.

She counted on his commitment

to her—for them,

to bind old wounds

and invent a life together

without heartache.

Year drifts to year

as her love grows, but his wavers

and then retreats

back to control

of his own life and ambitions.

He abandons

her for himself.

His selfishness now a mirror

for her sorrow.

Sunday, July 31, 2011

“Heart of Stone”

The promise of forever died

with a single call from you.

Seems no matter how hard I tried,

there was nothing I could do.

Our clumsy steps fell out of sync

before the dance had ended.

I could only stare and blink

when you felt so offended.

I know my feelings grew too fast,

that I scared you with my plans.

You did not want our love to last,

to get so quickly out of hand.

I knew from the moment we met

that you could destroy my heart.

My determination was set—

nothing would keep us apart.

I counted on your affection

being equal to my own.

Now I know upon reflection

that your heart is made of stone!

Saturday, July 30, 2011

“When”

When you look into my eyes to see if I’m in pain,

When you reach out at night and smooth my hair,

When you throw back your head and laugh at my small jokes,

When you hold in your anger as I rant and rave,

When you create a song, a poem or a painting,

When you spend time sifting through the sand searching for lost

treasure,

When you say nothing about my shortcomings,

When you take my hand as we cross the street,

When you pout because I’ve been too busy,

When you pull me into your imagination,

When you give and take within the course of the day, that is

When I love you.

Friday, July 29, 2011

“Waves”

I stand—

a young Mrs. de Winter on a precipice

below call the waves

waves carrying bits of life

flotsam from broken lives

waves crashing against crags

a perilous edge of reality

waves misting a rainbow

covering unspeakable acts

I consider my fall into those waves

into the life you lead