Well, here I am. And here is a new poem! Shhh! It’s a poem-a-day for the rest of your life challenge with my partner in crime, Carolee. Don’t tell anyone about the madness!
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Cinderella After the Final Ball
It was the day after the wedding.
The dress was on the floor
mice making nests in its folds.
She rose from the bed,
sweet box of nothing,
foraged through silk and sequins
and slipped into her gown of horrors.
Infant rodents suckled
at her breast, their tiny teeth
sharp reminders of what she had done.
Somehwere she had heard
wearing an ugly pair of underwear
could ruin her entire day.
She reached for last night’s filthy lace,
dressed for her life.
Mother mouse lost interest
crawled up and down the bride’s torso–
miniature dressmaker inspecting her work.
It is the smallest steps that carry you
out the door and into the world,
the drag of your train that will catch you
on the threshold, hold you prisoner
until you finally bend, grab the head
release the tack that binds you.
Wonderful, Jill.
the rest of our lives! egads!
soooooo glad to see a jill poem at a jill blog.
and i love this — the ugly underwear warning, the small steps, the reminder of what she’s done …
This is rather disturbing, in a good sort of way, of course 🙂
Oh! What a glorious madness.
And I love this poem, from the moment I read “sweet box of nothing” I was smitten.