The Queen of Hearts

She had a feeling you’d come back one day.
Because of this, the male suitors that came to her door
Never seemed to measure up to the
Illusion that was you.

She waited for you to return,
Thinking about you almost continuously
Until one day the clouds cleared
And she finally saw the light.

She eventually rose from her window seat,
Turned her head away from her expectations,
And stopped watching for you to come back over
Those hills that you disappeared across.

She didn’t necessarily move on,
But she found other things to fill her time,
And as the infrequent letters piled on her doorstep
She found better things to read.

However, she had a feeling you’d come back one day.
But this time she was prepared.
She would smile her smile and speak amiably,
But she knew it was just a game.

This game, she found, was only enjoyable when won,
And this time around she would go undefeated.
The tables would turn and you would be her pawn
Because as time passed, she attained a new strategy.

That’s exactly what she did.
She played you to her Queen
And you happily succumbed
Thinking you held all the cards.

One by one the chips gathered on her side.
As she grew rich and you grew greedy,
Her face never gave way to the hand that she held
Because she knew you would eventually fold.

Which after a few rounds you did,
And you gave her everything you had.
As she pulled her earnings from across the table
She realized she had everything her former self had wanted.

But the treasure she so long sought after
Turned out only to be Fool’s Gold.
And with careful examination
It turned out to be worth nothing at all.

The Queen of Hearts respectfully bowed her head
As she showed you to the door.
Time, she discovered, had cruelly presented her with Jokers
But she would no longer settle for less than a King.

She shut the door and returned to the window
To watch you take your final march.
Soon you were gone and she returned to her table
And began to shuffle her deck of cards.

A Bedtime Chat

“Mother, this I know,” said the child, as his mother tucked him in his blue Astronaut sheets.

“What do you know, my child?” responded the mother with a beckoning grin.

“I know that the pipes that let out smoke from buildings are cloud makers,” he said.

The mother chuckled and brushed back his hair. “You silly boy. The smoke that comes from the factories is not clouds, but the exhaust from machines pumping away.”

“Oh. Well Mother, this I know,” retorted the child.

“What is it you know, my sweet?” smiled the mother.

“I know that there are tiny ants in stoplights that decide when to turn the color from red to green,” said the child proudly.

“Oh no, my dear. The color of the stoplights change from an electrical timer that senses when it is another cars turn to go.”

“Oh,” said the boy. “Well Mother, this I know.”

“What do you know, pumpkin?”

“I know that when we drive, the sun follows us around. I know this because I watch it and it is always right outside the window,” said the boy.

“No, no. The sun doesn’t follow you around, dear, it is merely so far away and so big that it only looks like it is following you.”

“Oh...Well Mother... This I know,” said the boy.

“Yes?” said the mother.

“I know that rain is really the sky crying,” the boy said.

“No, my child. Rain is when water gets stored up in the clouds so much that it overflows and falls down to the ground,” she said, and kissed him on the forehead.

The boy was very confused. “Huh...” he said with a frown. “I guess I don’t know much, do I mother?”

At this point the mother realized what she had done. “Oh no, my sweet,” she responded with a pat on his head. “You know so, so much.”

“Like what?”

“Well, you know how to tie your shoes!”

“Yeah, but so do all the kids in daycare,” he said.

“You know how to count to a hundred!”

“Everybody knows that...”

The mother sighed. “My dear boy, let me tell you this. There will be time when people tell you you’re wrong. They will tell you what’s right and try to set you straight. You will be told ‘no’ so many times in your life, that you will begin to think it’s the only answer. There will be times when you think you know nothing at all. But you, my child, will always stand up, look them in the eye, and say ‘That’s not how I see it!’ and go on with your day.”

The boy smiled and the mother smiled.

“So, when I tell you that the pipes are not cloud makers, that ants don’t turn stoplights from red to green, that the sun does not follow you around, and that the sky doesn’t cry when it rains, I want you to look up at me and say ‘That’s not how I see it’, okay?”

“Okay,” smiled the boy. “I love you, Mom.”

The mother kissed the boy again and re-tucked the cover underneath his chin. “I love you, too, son. More than you know,” she whispered as she made her way to the door.

“Mother?” he asked as the door creaked closed.

“Yes, my child?”

The boy grinned. “That’s not how I see it,” he said. “This I definitely know.”

The mother smiled and closed the door.

A Tale for the Wise

The saying that our lady searched high and low for love
Is an understatement.
She searched the world, always looking for the fireworks,
The swelling music, and the chirping of the birds.
She searched so often that she hardly spent a night at home,
But she was always met with nothing but disappointment.

What our woman, who traveled so often, did not realize,
Was that while she searched for her warrior, her huntsman, her soldier,
The farm boy out yonder gathering cattle and shoveling manure
Was truly, deeply, desperately, everlastingly, and unconditionally in love with her.

He had no badges or medals of honor to prove his worth,
But he had the love in his eyes, the respect in his voice, and the honesty in his touch.
He was not made of gold or of coins to provide a comfortable throne,
But he had the reputation of yesterday, the evidence of today, and the promise of tomorrow.
But, to our dismay and to his broken heart, she searched on.
Unaware and unsatisfied.

She searched the enchanted forest to no avail.
She sailed seas to meet only the next shore.
She kissed frogs and drunkards in hopes she’d break the spell
Of her uncaptured, lonely heart,
In hopes that she would somehow end her search for true loves kiss.

After every disappointing departure of our lady,
The silent but overflowing heart of our lad weakened once more.
She remained unaware as he put on a smile and bid her adieu,
Wishing her luck in finding what she was looking for,
Knowing that she was exactly what he needed.

Years passed, and nothing changed but the youth in our strangers.
Her eyes grew tired and his heart grew weak,
As she strained the blues of her eyes,
Peering over foreign mountains looking for happily ever after,
And he further distressed his aching heart
as her frequent departures tugged at its stings.

Perhaps it was the sickness of a broken heart
That sent our aging man into a bed of delusion -- unable to eat or stand.
Out of good will, our lady extended the hand of an old friend
and attempted to nurse our gentleman back to health.

Many bowls of soup passed time between the two,
Who until now had spoken only greetings and goodbyes.
It was only one night when our fragile man was talking in his sleep,
Did he utter the words, “I love you.”

Our lady, knitting in her neighboring rocker, froze mid stitch,
and asked the sleeping man to repeat what he said.
He replied:
“Day or night, my lady. Near or far, my beauty.
Wherever your travels may lead you,
You have my heart in your pocket.”

With this, the yarn met the ground as our lady crossed to the sickbed.
And she put her wrinkled hand on his wrinkled cheek,
And she looked upon his pale face,
And she closed her tired eyes,
And thought back to the time she had wasted
Looking for what was in her back yard.

She gently kissed the forehead of the mumbling man,
And crossed back to her knitting.
She sighed a breath of deep relief in knowing that,
After all the years of travel,
After all the pain of being alone,
After all the heartache of kissing faceless souls,
The gold of her heart had not gone unnoticed.

A few more days passed before our man sat up in bed,
Where he was greeted with a hand on his chest
Of the neighboring beauty who grew wise to his secret.
She smiled sweetly and brushed back his silver hair,
And together, without words, they knew their story had begun.

Love brought them many happy years,
Living in their quiet cottage together.
But it would be a fallacy to say that things would stay this way forever.
For as every life has an abrupt beginning, it also has an untimely end.

Though the heart of the old man was filled with the love of his wife,
It did not replace the weakness of his valves
When one day, while gathering the grain,
He fell to the ground and was met with the tears of his
Frightened wife.

He put his hand on her wet cheek and smiled through his beard,
and she leaned forward and kissed him more truly and passionately
Than she had ever thought possible.
He whispered goodbye, for he thought it was the end,
And she shook her head and put her hand to his heart
And said:
““Day or night, my husband. Near or far, my love.
Wherever your travels may lead you,
You have my heart in your pocket.”

He smiled and she smiled,
As they lay in the grass together.
Soon her husband was gone, but she stayed there still,
Finding only comfort next to him.
Finally, she looked up at the star that she had not wished on in years,
and made one final wish.

She closed her eyes, and they would not open again,
As she went to travel with her husband
through enchanted forests and over seas,
Wherever the wind would guide them, they journeyed together.
For true love stories never really end.

A Run-In on Winter's Avenue

“It’s so nice to see you, Todd,” she said, with the sincere, sweet smile that she always kept. She had not changed. Her blue grey eyes sparkled in the winter air, and flecks of snow framed her perfect rose petal face. Her silky hair gleamed in the winter air, and she had never looked so beautiful. A breeze blew through her, and she took a small step forward. She slowly, even hesitantly placed her arms around him and pulled him into a kind, friendly hug that you would give an old friend you once knew in high school or college. Todd ached with the memory of what could have been if he had taken a different path all those years ago. What a fool, he realized, he had been. Their embrace broke and he held her hands. They were so warm and he didn’t want to let go.

He thought back to the time they had spent together, and how he never thought that she could ever be the one. They were too good of friends. He knew everything about her from her love of old movies, to her problematic addiction to peanut butter, to the weird way she would sing songs to herself when she thought nobody was listening. He always knew she was sweet, he always knew she was pretty, but he had never known that she loved him. Well, that’s not true, he reminded himself. He knew. He just never did anything about it. What a mistake, he thought.


She placed her gloved hand on his cheek and said, “I’m so incredibly happy I ran into you. I’ve missed you so much.” The winter air seemed lukewarm compared to the chills he felt in his chest. Why did he let this moment pass him by time and time again? Though it had been years since they last saw each other, there was never a day gone by that she did not cross his mind.


“How long are you in town?” he asked, taking a small step forward.
“Just tonight,” she replied, “Visiting Brain’s parents to iron out the final details.”
“Oh right. I forgot that you and Brian were finally tying the knot. I believe congratulations are in order!” Todd mustered, and he leaned in and softly kissed her on her pink cheeks.


She breathed deep. She had never forgotten about Todd. She had never loved someone so much in her entire life, and she probably never would. Love like that doesn’t change, and she knew this in her heart. But, she reminded herself, he never wanted her, and it seemed this would never change, either. She pulled apart and looked in his deep, green eyes. Even after all these years, she still thought about him constantly.


She hugged him once more and took in every detail of the moment: The winter air, the falling snow, his green scarf, and his worn black coat. One last look for the road, she thought, I will probably never see him again.


He closed his eyes as she pulled him in. He wanted to remember this perfectly: the white of the snow falling delicately in her wavy blond hair, her blue grey eyes smiling as she spoke, her red scarf wrapped cozily around her neck, and her beautiful smile that he could never forget.


The two stood with each other on the deserted sidewalk. She still wanted him so badly, and he finally realized what a fool he had been. The crosswalk turned, and she stood to her tip toes and pressed her cheek against his, “I miss you everyday, Todd, I truly do.” Her eyes smiled sadly as she took one final look at him before she took across the street and disappeared into the falling snow.


The breeze of wind fought against her as she walked, making it harder for her to keep going. She blinked back tears as she silently prayed for him to finally, after all this time, come after her. She crossed her arms into her red coat to fight against the whistling flurries. It did not matter the temperature outside, she had never felt so warm as when she was talking to Todd. She knew that he was the love of her life. Just once, she silently pleaded, let him realize that I’m the one he wants. Make him love me. Please. She kept on walking at a slow pace, hoping that Todd would come running up to her and pull her into his warm arms just as she had always wanted.


Todd stood at that corner for a few minutes more, debating whether or not to go after her. He finally decided to continue in the direction he was headed. For why should he change his path now?


The minutes passed as she tuned a few more corners, and before she knew it she was back where she was meant to be. She wiped the tears from her eyes, breathed out one last breath of love lost, and stepped inside and returned to what she was destined. She went in and hovered her hands over the fire, and though it took several minutes, the warmth finally started to return to her fingers.


Todd walked as he put his hands in his empty pockets as a gust of wind sent a shiver down his spine. He wished he had bought a new coat this year, as the holes in the lining did little to keep him warm on a night like this. What a depressing season, he thought as he walked alone down the empty street. December, it seemed, would be must colder than usual.

I Felt The Ground Move

I felt the ground move
and I must admit I lost my balance.

Fell down, scraped my knee.
But I got back up.

That’s how it is supposed to work.
You always get back up. Always.

I did, however, sit there awhile
To take a look at how far I had fallen.

It was quite the hole I fell into.
I wasn’t sure I could climb out.

My hands got dirty and it took some effort on my part.
But what goes up must come down, and the other way around.

Truth is, where would we be
If we never got back up?

Happy Birthday, Dad

Happy Birthday, Father
From your youngest daughter.
And so comes that time of year
To say the things you too seldom hear.

Thanks for World Famous Scrambled Eggs,
Building snowmen on winter days.
From singing “Blue Skies” in the car,
World’s Greatest Dad you truly are.

Thanks for all the soccer games,
And trips to Disney, too.
Childhood would not have been the same
Without your timeless “nee-ah-woo.”

Don’t forget the electricity rub,
And Joplin’s bumper boats,
When all we needed was a hug,
Unlike Mom we need no coat.

I did not forget the famous Claw,
And jock jams in the car,
Or being outnumbered by puppy paws,
In all things you’re my shining star.

As I near my final words,
It took all I that could muster,
I think it would be quite absurd
To forget to reference “slob buster.”

So another Happy Birthday, Dad.
This one’s from me to you.
I hope you have the greatest day,
And remember I love you.

Witch of the Season

I never thought to hate someone

As much and I hate you

And when all is said and done

You know these words are true.

.

You, dear girl, are a heinous wart

A monster of witch stew

You treat his love as playful sport

Though it’s his sadness that you brew.

.

You are a goblin and wretched dog.

That snarls and digs up spite.

Unless you are princess to his frog

Don’t think your actions right.

.

You cast a spell right over him

Of love mixed with despair.

To be alone would be quite grim

So bewitched you keep him there.

.

In the end who sweeps up

The messes that you made

When you take broom and fly away

And leave him in degrade?

.

It won’t be me I promise you

To mend his troubled mind.

He looks at me as wicked poison

From your words of grand design.

.

He’ll be alone in day and night

Perhaps you will be, too.

And as I near my final words

I have this to say to you.

.

If I had my way I’d break the spell

And end your evil ways

But as you’ve damned him to enchanted Hell

Magic words won't bring sun rays.

.

I do not think you very grand

I hope you never cross my path

Your spells are more than I can stand

Pray to never face my wrath.

Letters I'll Never Send

Today I wrote a letter

Of things I’d like to say

To you if you ever bothered

To venture back my way.

.

I’d tell you how it hurt

To be left out in the dust

To give my heart so blindly

To one I thought to trust.

.

Today I wrote a letter

Wishing you the best

Tried to get some closure

So my eyes could finally rest.

.

I told how you’re a liar

Filled with hatred and deceit

How I can’t breath when I see you passing

Knowing our eyes won’t meet.

.

Today I wrote a letter

Saying it’s okay you chose her

But she leads you with false stories

Which is more than I can endure.

.

She pulls you back so closely

Giving you no room to budge

Our talks became too friendly

And she is your only judge.

.

Today I wrote a letter

This was the last to glove

Of this deep and darkly secret

I think I fell in love.

.

I hate that you’re not by my side

I lost track of all the times I cried

And knowing I won’t see you now

I feel the heart of me has died.

.

I’m sad that I lost a best friend

With one I could be true.

And though these letters I’ll never send

I send my love to you.

Just Curious

I am considered naturally curious.

Of many things in fact

But the main one on my mind today

Is the question of how you act.

.

Do you wake up in the morning

Feeling full of wit and charm?

Because, if so, how people see you

Will cause you much alarm.

.

You are what we call an endless ass,

Though others call you douche.

And though this might seem a little crass

I swear it’s the honest truth.

.

You’re dumb, you’re ignorant,

Racist, mean, naive.

And though it shouldn’t, it does astound me

The comments up your sleeve.

.

But now I’m here to tell you

What we truly want to say

Is to (please) shut the hell up

And let silence rule your way.

.

This may seem rude and just absurd

To be the victim of such dislike

But did you really think you clever?

Just curious. If so -- Psych.