Rusted Locks
After being hurt by so many before, a wall is built around the heart. So high that climbing the wall is but a dream. No one will ever abuse or neglect this heart again. So many years pass and coldness sets in. Then a passing smile or touch sends shivers down the spine. So hard is the shiver that the rust is knocked loose from the lock to that hidden heart.
Sometimes the heart is a fixer upper
The lock lays rusted with no key to be found
The gates sealed shut for years
The steps blackened by weather
The grass thick and uncut
Windows hazed to obscurity
Shingles missing from past storms
No trespassing signs litter the view
Neglect and abuse are evident
Trees that bore fruit stand empty
Old seeds litter the ground undisturbed
Not even an ant, a mouse, or a bird
No trace of life to be found
Bolt cutters in hand claiming the prize
Landscapers and roofers in tow
Painters and plumbers so much work
Although hidden the beauty is there
Knowing that this will take some time
Nothing in life worth having comes easy
Soon the outline starts to form
Followed by the details and intricacies
The fences are cleaned whitewashed
The gate is sandblasted and painted
The lock is new and shiny and unsecured
No sign of wear no signs of abuse
Life again bounds in the fresh-cut grass
Fruit from the trees feeds the birds
From the shadows to the bright light of day
A happiness, a joy, here to stay