More people are imprisoned
By picket fences
Than steel bars
Sometimes by splinters
Sometimes by stakes
Through the heart
Lonely in the end
To come home
Dreams of white picket fences have waylayed many more lives than prisons or jails. The temptations of desperation and criminality that lead to prison are much more easily identified, and such temptations have obvious negative societal reactions that help keep them in check. The temptations of materialism and comfort are much more subtle, and even more pervasive. The structure and mores of Western civilization reinforce, even laud, such temptations. The fact that the worldview where “greed is good” can persist at all is the best evidence for the backwardness of modern, capitalistic society. Religious folks have commented that the greatest accomplishment of the devil is to convince you that he doesn’t exist. This is a stunning metaphor for recognizing the powerful human tendency to downplay, ignore, or even lift to the highest value, our dark side. Only by a steady awareness of our dark side, and a commitment to an equal compassion for ourselves and others, can we hold in check our baser instincts. Of course, wrapping our most base instincts in dreams of white picket fences may pass for civilization, but it still leaves a lot to be desired. The sadness and disillusionment reflected in this poem is about the all-too-common reality that chasing our dreams may leave us feeling alone, even in our dream house. May you set your eyes and heart upon the finest things in life, and wherever this leads you, may you feel at home.
