ANN CHRISTINE TABAKA

ANN CHRISTINE TABAKA

STEP ONE

I wanted so much from life,

but would not allow myself

the pleasure of its offering.

I let the worry of lost desire

steal hope from my idle mind.

Never being happy with

what was at hand, but

always wanting more.

I closed the door upon myself,

while hiding in despair.

Too fearful to use the key

right here in my trembling hand.

Lessons learned a little too late,

there is no turning back.

The tormented life left behind,

a new life to begin.

At least I plan to try this time!

Step one ……

TURNING THE PAGE

Open Meadow.

Closed heart.

Which way to turn from here?

To run free and wild.

To live without a care.

You left so many years ago.

I lost count of the time.

The emptiness that fills me now

is in the shape of you.

Open spaces call to me,

to leave abandon behind.

The sun my only lover.

The wind my constant friend.

Soft green grass beneath my feet.

A journey with no end.

I DREAM OF YOU

Each night you come to me in my dreams.

In life you are an unreachable chasm away,

right here in the same house – miles apart.

I long for your touch – you withhold it. Once

warm smiles - now icy looks from a cold

heart. My tears freeze under your gaze.

Sometimes sadness is overwhelming,

bleeding out from every pore. The spurn

of love - a lingering pain beyond words.

Unreality is real at last. Flames no

longer burn. I cannot ascertain what went

wrong, or when, just that it has.

Trapped in a cage of lonely days, I long

for night to take me in its arms once

more, so I can dream of you.

ANN CHRISTINE TABAKA

ANN CHRISTINE TABAKA has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize in Poetry, has been internationally published, and won poetry awards from numerous publications. She lives in Delaware, USA.  She loves gardening and cooking.  Chris lives with her husband and three cats. Her most recent credits are: Pomona Valley Review; Ariel Chart, Page & Spine, West Texas Literary Review, Oddball Magazine, The Paragon Journal, The Stray Branch, Trigger Fish Critical Review, Foliate Oak Review, Better Than Starbucks!, Anapest Journal, Mused, Apricity Magazine, The Write Launch, The Stray Branch, Scryptic Magazine, Ann Arbor Review, The McKinley Review.

*(a complete list of publications is available upon request)