Author: Patty Richardson

Don’t want to need
Or think of you
After all 
You put me through.

Decades later
There you are
Standing there
Beneath the stars.

A walk along
This sandy beach
Now face to face
Yet, out of reach.

Two hearts collide
Just as before
No chance …. no way
To ask for more.

You reach for me
I step back
An instinct
To retreat … retract.

Afraid …. unsure
Is this a dream?
Nothing is 
The way it seems.

The sand …. the wind
The ocean breeze
You’re not the one
The one I need.

A memory
Hardly enough
The tide comes in
The water’s rough.

Time to go
Let old scars be
Tossed to the wind
Blown out to sea.

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Photo by Angela Galardi.

Head over heels
In love with you
Your voice ….that smile
My dreams came true.

That charm … the lust
Was so turned on
Never thought I’d wake
And you’d be gone.

On the same page
Intertwined and in sync
It took only seconds
For me to blink.

A lifetime …. a promise
No reason to doubt
Never thought for a minute
That you wanted out.

But, the closet was empty
The suitcases gone
You found someone else
It didn’t take long.

Out of my mind
Devastated …. confused
Lost …. now alone
I was duped .… I’d been used.

I was startled …. but elated 
He was talking …. talking to me
The octopus was speaking 
It was weird .… hard to believe. 

An awkward conversation
At first I was afraid
I felt a little nervous
But admit …. I was amazed.

After years of swimming solo
Half human and half fish
Always wanting to have friends
Never thought it’d be like this.

A mermaid’s life is lonely
Never really fitting in
Hard to be accepted 
It’s so hard to make new friends. 

He said his name was “Ollie”
He reached out a tentacle 
We made contact for the first time 
It felt strange …. but magical.

Every evening, before sunset
Where the water’s not so deep
We would meet and talk for hours
At the sandbar …. near the  reef.

Sometimes we would go swimming
We both loved to swim at night
We would swim and swim for hours
Underneath the pale moonlight. 

__________________

Photo: bing.com/images

There’s a monster in my bedroom
He’s there most every night
Fearful he might run amuck
If I turn off the light.

He gets restless and quite noisy
He’s been known to wet the bed
It’s almost time for dinner
He’ ll keep quiet if he’s fed.

He eats staples and loves crayons
I leave them on the floor
He snorts if he’s still hungry
Sometimes I give him more.

He does just what he wants to
I see him in my dreams
He lives beneath my bed frame
He is friendly …. never mean.

His fur is coarse and stubby
His teeth …. an emerald green
In the light I see his long, sharp claws
They sparkle and they gleam.

He makes a lot of noises
Guess he just can’t help  himself
I heard him whine and whimper
Wonder if  he’s feeling well. 

He offers very little
No rent or tax relief
So little compensation
Since he’s only…. Make Believe.

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Photo: bing.com/images

I held on tight
Out on a limb
Things took a turn
Looked dark and  grim.

I looked around
I hedged my bets
I thought I’d found
A safety net.

All the while
You had a plan
You soaked me dry
Then up and ran. 

Never in
My wildest dreams
Did I think
You’d plot and scheme.

Play me for 
A total fool
So calculating
Shrewd and cruel.

Never thought
We’d end like this
No parting words
No hug …. no kiss.

A con…. a crook
A shark …. a snake
My worst mishap
My worst mistake.

__________________

Photo: bing.com/images

What becomes of cons and thieves
Players who will lie, players who cheat?
In the end …. do they get theirs?
It seems so callous, seems so unfair.

On the surface … slick and shrewd
They’re calculating every move
Often vain and over zealous
Underneath sly, cold and jealous.

But, don’t  confuse their wants and needs
They’ll cut you loose …. then watch you bleed.
No remorse …. no consequence
No desire to make amends.

You hope for karma coming through
To give them back what they are due
But, what if evil does prevail
If justice can’t balance the scales?

There’s no guilt …. there’s no regret
You might as well give up …. forget
Be thankful that you can move on
Be grateful they are finally gone.

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Photo: bing.com/images

Off the wall
And out of control
Out of your mind
So cunning and bold. 

You take it all in
You spin it around
You spit it back out
It’s thrown on the ground.

You take what you want
You never give back
If there’s something there
You’ll follow the tracks.

A taker ….  a thief
You look for the gold
Your heart can be bought
Your heart can be sold. 

There’s ice in your veins
An empty black hole
A scammer, a cheater
So heartless …. so cold.

I should have known
But I missed the clues
Wish I had known
Before I met you.

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Photo: bing.com/images

No I can’t …. can’t count on you
Still can’t believe you left
Walked right out …. no looking back 
Just wish I could forget.

Why’d ya leave …. just disappear?
Why were you so damn cruel?
Why’d ya have to  leave me here?
I feel like such a fool.

All this while  …. it’s been so long
Since I laid eyes on you
Tried my best to get you back
But, nothing I could do.

Can’t let go … can’t  shake it off
The one I loved the most
Left me with a broken heart
Then headed for the coast. 

In the dark …. with thoughts of you
Feeling sad and blue
Can’t stop thinking about you now 
Still pining over you. 

___________________

Photo: bing.com/images

I was feeling so alone
Till the night when we first met
I listened so intently
To the things that you had said.

That smile upon your face
That dimple on your chin
Your hair….so soft , so lovely
Blowing gently in the wind.

You seemed so sure .… so confident 
Never knew someone like you
“Will you take a walk with me?”
We had a drink or two.

It was late, but didn’t matter
I was hooked …. head over hills
Didn’t care what time it was
Loved the way you made me feel.

We headed down the rabbit hole
No need for sweet persuasion
I followed you so willingly 
Consumed with expectation.

The ins and outs ….. the twists and turns
Took us quickly round the bend
You took my hand, you held it tight
Right up until the end.

But, nothing lasts forever
Though I wished like hell it could
Things often end the way they are
They end the way they should. 

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Photo: bing.com/images

Don’t reach for me
I won’t be there
Don’t call my name
Don’t stop and stare. 

We came so far
Not far enough
I wasn’t quite
So strong … so tough.

Thought what we had
Could transcend time
I had no doubt
That you were mine.

But foolishly
I never knew
I missed the signs
Ignored the clues.

You carried on
I sat at home
You knew that I
Was all alone.

I wanted you 
At any cost
Though knowing I’d been
Double crossed.

With blinders on
I muddled through
Told myself
I could trust you.

All the while
The end was near
There before me
Crystal clear. 

Found you with
Someone else 
No thoughts of me
Here by myself.

It’s over now
Time to move on
Things will be better
With you gone.

No point 
In trying anymore
Let me show you 
To the door.

Here’s your coat
Please take your hat
Don’t want you here
Don’t want you back.

__________________

Photo: bing.com/images