decoration

she was brought here
as a child
so many years ago
away from her village
and the toys of her childhood
to become a child toy
for nameless men
who entered her room at night
taking what they wanted
each time stealing a bit of her
leaving her void of emotions
some of the men would return
week after week
year after year
of those who returned this night
she had offtered them
something special
if they would bring her a gift
a gift that she defined
a small tank of gas
for winter was coming
some duct tape
to seal the windows
from winter’s chill
and one strange gift
an old pilot’s mask
perhaps for decoration
as each left this night
satisfied by her
more than usual
she
smiled at them
a wry smile
but a smile
and
when the night was through
she took her last sustiva
smiled again
knowing
what they
did not know
then
taping the mask
to the tank
fell into a deep
eternal sleep

Photo Challenge from Toni Cross

now i paid good money
to rent this place
but it ain’t no
american dream
just a second floor apartment
where watching your step
becomes a way of life
carefully ascending
this stairway to heaven
becomes a way of avoiding
a shortcut to the hereafter
you may have noticed
i change the outside
decoration depending on
who’s in power
that way maybe
i’ll get a job
see i found
that the folks who
make it in the world
are willing to
go with the flow
sellout to the highest bidder
now i know
you think that’s wrong
but hell think ’bout
all those folks
we elected
promised to do what’s best for the country
and child
what did they do when they got there
started doing things like everybody else
the old doctor jeckel and hyde syndrome
but you can’t blame them
look at the mess the world’s in
they just want to keep their job
so they
give the voters what they don’t need
and probably shouldn’t have
shine shoes for some corporate bigwig
with your voting ballot
but let’s be honest
one has to lookout for their
own retirement benefits
so although it’s taken me awhile
i’ve learned my lesson well

This poem is really a duel challenge one photo challenge from Toni Cross and a second written challenge from John Holmes. With any luck at all I’ve managed to’ hit two birds with one stone’ as they say. They are both friends…well they were right up to the time that I published this response to their challenges.