Barbie and Ken

She wanted a knight

in shining armor.

He saw the longing

in her eyes, knew she wanted

to be saved. But

he wasn’t in the damsel-saving

business.

He was looking for Barbie

not a Queen

so he bought her things

like a Dream Car and Dream House

sitting atop a hill far away

from those who loved her.

Left her feeling like

a poor miller’s daughter

who might be able to

spin straw into gold.

But life is not a fairy tale.

Still

he filled her Dream House

with lots of Dream things

like red bottoms, rings, and

other expensive things.

Never a crown though

because she could never be

his Queen.

He bought her lots of

plastic toys, showed her

plastic Barbie love and

the shiny new things

convinced her

that his love was real

but not even the rings

he bought her

could withstand the heat

of her needing.

She was Barbie

and he was Ken

and he spent a lifetime

buying things to fill up

their Barbie Dream House

but it was never a home

because plastic love ain’t love

it’s merely a distraction

a trick of the eye, heart, and soul

to make you believe

all that glitters is gold or

that a house is always a home.