Allison DeDecker
Before becoming a parent
I never realized
how much hurt is caused
in trying to prevent it;
how guarding against trauma
creates its own
how watchful eyes can blink
to police searchlights aiming
to capture and contain
instead of protect and serve
how easily a loving touch
left untempered can harden
to vice grip over too small fingers,
leading hands transmuted to gold restraints.
Round and round
these helicopter blades go;
a carousel we force kids to ride
until they become the parent-
What if we let them off?
What if we let them fly?
Allison DeDecker loves stories. She studied Theatre Performance in undergrad, and continues to be most drawn to art (be it visual, theatre, or writing) with a narrative thread, no matter how tenuous. Like many others, she picked up a lost love over the course of the pandemic. Her writing has been a source of great catharsis and joy. She is inspired by day-to-day life, current events, and the natural world.