Porcelain

He blows away her dust,
Smiling as his friends compliment
His exotic doll kept in a glass showcase.
He locks her doors tightly,
Afraid a single breath will shatter her skin.
He prays to keep her from harm,
Not noticing the cobwebs around her heart
As she prays for rescue from his dollhouse

The Deep End

I haven’t gone off
The deep end.
I just like to dangle my feet
Over the edge
And watch my toes twist
Light into dark
And back again.

The Lesson Plan

When we are young
Parents and teachers
Promote our American opportunity,
Potential limited only by our imaginations.

“You can be a doctor.”
“You can be an astronaut.”
“You can even be President of the United States.”

(Unless, of course
You are a conservative…and a woman.)

Media Whore

Vicious graffiti
Aimed at a woman
Whose only crime
Is standing with the citizenry
While chasing her American dream,
Reported with glee
By those who prostitute the truth
In the dim red light of their cameras.

The Box

A white wooden box
Trimmed with squares of molding
And brass handles
Holds an honored place
In the center of the table,
Photographs and pink roses
Lovingly arranged around it.
A box that well-crafted
Was meant for mementos -
A first pair of shoes.
Baby teeth thought to be in the care of the Tooth Fairy.
A lacy white Communion dress.
A fourth-grade spelling bee trophy.
Prom pictures.
A wedding garter.
A box like that was never meant
For an angel so precious
That God decided to keep her with Him.

Gypsy

I whirled in gypsy firelight many lives ago,
Free and in harmony with Mother Earth.
With flowing skirt and bare feet,
I’ve found luck and doom in tea leaves,
Never seeing the eternal wanderings in my own palm.

Window Games

The playing field is small,
Just the space between our windows.

The rules are simple.
Look out the window
As long as you can
Without the other one knowing.

The penalties for getting caught:
Embarrassment,
Unanswered questions,
A knowing look.

Don’t talk to each other -
It’s the unspoken rule.
The game is silly,
Yet we keep playing
And no one wins.

The Lament of the English Student

Contact between mouth and brain is lost.
The floodgates of stupidity open,
Pouring out an array
Of double negatives
And overworked comparisons.
All rational thoughts have disappeared,
Leaving my participles dangling
Behind my shattered pride.