The Compass, The Handcuffs, and The Heart-Shaped Locket

A Poem by Phunkadelique

A compass, a pair of handcuffs, and a heart-shaped locket...
No common ground amongst them besides the owner's pocket.
Meet Jamaal...a bright young man of some 21 odd years...
even-keeled by nature with potential confined by his very own fears!
Fears that his beliefs in life are far from reality,
that all the bullshit he's been through is f*****g up his clarity!
Fears!!!...but that isn't why he holds these three items,
he's had them for the last 5 years and he don't do s**t without em!
No matter where or when, he wears his locket round his neck,
the compass in his right pocket, the handcuffs in his left.
That's the way it'd been for over 1800 days,
but as time will tell, eventually things must and will change.
His friends thought he was crazy for keeping the s**t he kept,
especially wearing a heart-shaped locket, even wore it when he slept.
For 5 plus years he'd had no luck with any girl he dated,
none were worth his time nor effort so he simply waited,
day by day passed by, his possessions still intact,
friends and loved ones questioning this bachelor's "silly" act.
So, the 6th year anniversary of his strange routine comes along,
he wears the locket, carries the handcuffs and compass, singing his yearly song,
"The road ahead may seem forever, but it's not that long,
God is with you when you're walking right and even when you're wrong,
Be encouraged by the hope of tomorrow, each day is brand new,
For those who wait upon the Lord, their strength shall be renewed"
As he made his way to work, he couldn't help but notice this girl,
she was 5 foot 5 with light brown eyes, her hair made up in curls,
they connected eyes, a friendly smile, their paths began to cross
she had made her way to him, for she seemed to be lost
what a beauty to behold, he just had to know her name,
many different girls he tried, but this one here was not the same,
introduced himself to her; hence, the start of something great,
came to find they had a lot in common when they began to date,
she had goals to be a lawyer, majoring in business law,
she loved sports, hated mushrooms, ate cookie dough in the raw,
months passed by, she was curious to know why he had this stuff,
the locket, perhaps, could be explained, but why a compass and handcuffs,
unsure of how to respond, he stalled the answer a couple of nights,
he knew the answer to the question, but had to make sure the time was right,
about a week or two passed by and he was sure that this was real,
she would be the one to whom the compass, handcuffs, and locket were revealed.
On a warm, breezy afternoon the two met at the park,
they walked and talked and laughed and smiled til it was nearly dark,
they sat down on a bench and watched the sunset in the sky,
her head lay on his shoulder as a tear rolled down his eye,
she asked him, "What's wrong baby?", another tear rolled down his face,
he replied, "Nothing at all babe, let's go back to my place".
When they arrived at his home, he began to make her dinner,
treated her like the queen she was, the spoils granted to the winner.
He turned off the lights and lit a few candles by their side,
they ate and talked and fed each other smiling oh so wide,
finally the time had come, they had finished with their food,
but in his heart, he knew that he had something more to do.
(Jamaal): "Remember the other night, when you asked about these things?
And I said they stand for so much more than what they appear to mean.
Well...I didn't tell you everything, the details I left obscure,
but I had to know something for myself and now I know I'm sure!"
(Stacy): "Baby, what does that mean, what are you talking about?"
(Jamaal): "I'm telling you why I kept those things but now can do without."
(Stacy): "Wait, I don't care if you keep them, I just wanted to know why!"
(Jamaal): "But when I tell you why I had them, I won't need them in my life!"
"You see...