Queen of My Garden

In the garden of life, I once danced to tunes not my own,
Twirling for smiles, for applause, bending till I broke.
I wore a cloak woven from threads of your expectations,
Colorful yet suffocating, pleasing yet so hollow.
I walked a path where the two-faced Joker shows,
Their smile, a twisted serenade of deceit,
Their hands, shuffling lies like cards under the stage light's beat.

But in my hand, a card more fierce, more stark
The Queen of Spades, she rules the dark.
Her edges sharp, her bearing regal and composed,
Amid the thorns, her strength unopposed.
Hear my decree, as clear as the dawn:
My happiness reigns, a queen in her own right.
No more will I bend, no more will I break,
For I am done with dances that tarnish my soul.

To the masked revelers, the jesters with two faces,
Your games are tired, your theater, a bore.
I’ve seen behind your curtains, glimpsed your shadows,
And I choose to walk in sunlight, pure and whole.
I've sailed seas of smiles, masking scorn,
Heard whispered judgments in the dawn.
Bent for others till I nearly broke,
Silenced my spirit just to evoke
A fleeting nod, a hollow cheer,
In a game I played year after empty year.

No more bending, no more breaks,
No more false moves or high stakes.
This Queen in my hand declares my release,
From pleasing others to finding my peace.
Here  I stand, with the Queen of Spades in hand,
Sharp-edged and unyielding, cutting ties that bind.
My soul reclaimed, my spirit free,
In my kingdom of joy, where peace resides.

With every step, with every breath,
I build a life of genuine smiles no more charades.
For I am the architect of my happiness,
A fortress of strength, in a sanctuary of my making.

For now, I choose the path of joy, my own guide,
Where authenticity and courage reside.
To the jokers and the critics, I bid farewell,
In my heart, serenity will now dwell.
The garden blooms, wild and free
Just as I am, as I was meant to be.