Waiting on empty (a poem)

Waiting on Empty

See her
standing there on the corner
waiting
for a man named John
to pick her up
and take her to that place
where she never dreamt
she'd belong.

See her
standing there on the corner
waiting
for her husband John to drive up
and take her home
to that place
where she belongs.

They're standing
on the same side of the street
waiting
on different corners
worlds apart
and so close by.

Her dreams,
the girl with the 6 inch stilettos
and vacant eyes
are filled with nothing
but the emptiness of knowing
there's no where for her to go
but down
on a John
through the rabbit hole
to nowhere
but the emptiness
of that place
where she hides out
drugging herself
against the pain
of this place
where she is nothing more
than a girl on the corner
selling her wares
to any man who wants to come
into the warm vessel
of her body
to find that place
where they are emptied
of all humanity.

The other one
the one in the business suit
and expectant eyes
she's filled with the anticipation
of living her dream
come true
white picket-fence
rubbing against glass ceilings
where happiness drives up
in a mini-van
car-seat in the back
first-aid kit in the trunk
dreams of happily-ever-after
held fast
in the warm vessel
of their hearts
full
of love.

And at the end of the day
one will feel empty
lost
alone
the other completely
at home
safe
with the ones she loves.

They're both our children
sisters
flesh of our flesh
born of a mother and father
searching for a place to belong
the only way they know how.

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This post was for the Blog Carnival sponsored by Bridget Chumbley at One Word at a Time and Peter Pollock of Rediscovering the Church.

The Blog Carnival is a biweekly online event open to anyone. Participans write on a one-word prompt or topic. This week's is "emptiness".

At Bridget's place you'll find a list of links to all of the contributions, which are posted throughout Tuesday and often through to the end of the week.The Blog Carnival's FaceBook page is here. (Thank you Maureen at Writing without Paper for the descriptive paras.)