Picket Fences Become Prison Bars

The young girl dreamed of a life behind picket fences
A husband, two children and a dog to complete what,
In her mind, was the picture perfect existence.

She tried and tried to find it, but there was always something wrong
A husband who acted more like a child
Another who acted more like a controller.

At last she found the picket fence life
A husband, three children and a cat
In a house where she was a pampered wife and mother

Till the day when the picket fence looked more like prison bars
Holding her back from what she dreamed
And who she could be

She longed to break free, to spread her wings
But responsibility and obligation held her down
And tied her to the life she'd already chosen.
© TDK 2010

Signs

Watching and waiting
Wondering which way to turn
Do I stay on this road
Where it's safe and familiar
Or take the other fork
Toward an uncertain future?
© TDK 2010

Amazing

Amazing moment--

When they found each other

Out of all the people in the world

And shared laughter and fears

Feeling something begin to grow

Amazing hour--

When they each took a risk

Admitting what they felt

And were surprised and excited

To realize the love was mutual

Amazing day--

When they finally came together

To share the love they felt

And discovered so much more

Than either could have imagined

Amazing life--

When they could live each day

Sharing happiness and love

And make so many dreams

Come true for one another

© 2010 TDK

Love Walked In

Staring out the window,

Excitement and fear mingled in her:

Excited to see him, to be in his arms,

But fearing they had been thwarted yet again.

Then another look, and a familiar face!!!

She ran to the door, threw it open,

Practically dragging him inside.

Clinging to each other for dear life,

Repeating declarations of love,

They knew where they belonged.

© 2010 TDK

Never Look Back

I've always claimed to have no regrets

Because everything brought me to this place

And this person--the one I claimed to love.

Yet whenever others tried to love that person,

I pushed them away with tales of why I wasn't worthy,

Proving I'd never taken the time to forgive myself.

At last I found the one I never wanted to lose,

So I finally let it all go--left the past in the past--

Knowing that, this time, I'd truly never look back.

© 2009 TDK

The Moon And Stars

This form, villanelle, was new to me, and it was a lot more difficult than I had anticipated. It took THREE MONTHS from start to finish....but here it is....

Wrapped in the shelter of his arms

Her spirit soared beyond the moon

As she succumbed to his many charms

With each kiss she would nearly swoon

His loving took her to the stars

And her heart sang a brand new tune.

Whether they were near or far

The love still grew within their hearts

And it was slowly healing every scar.

They swore never again to part--

To do whatever it took--

And all of life's "bumps" to thwart.

They shared enough words to fill a book

And dreamed of their future every day--

How it would feel, how it would look.

Even when they couldn't find the words to say

They knew there was no cause for alarm

For they each knew the other would stay

And never cause them any harm.

© 2009 TDK

Words

I've clung to them, relied on them,

Trusted them, been hurt by them.

I've poured my heart into them,

And had them tossed back into my face.

I've waited for the right ones,

Settled for the "close enough" ones,

Believed the ones I should have doubted,

Doubted the ones I should have believed.

And through it all, I never realized

That what I really craved the most

Were the "words" that are never spoken--

The ones shared between two souls

In that mystical moment of togetherness.

© 2009 TDK