Daughter not-daughter,
girl in silver gown, spare
a little sparkle for me
as you tread down the steps
I prepared you to navigate.
Glass does wonders
for the footing,
letting you glide
across the hard surfaces,
nearly skating. Remember
I taught you the steps
to the dance, how to curtsey,
how to cock your head
to let the moonlight shine
across your cheek
so it looks kissed by dew,
how to make pumpkin
sweet to him. Don't forget
from which vine you came:
thread back hand over hand
into the garden. Don’t forget
who tended you
with magic. Do not leave
me lonely, spellbound
by age and service,
in this small cottage
as fire diminishes into ash.
Christine Butterworth-McDermott’s poetry has appeared in Cimmaron Review, The Normal School, Southeast Review, and RATTLE, among others. She is the author of the chapbook Tales on Tales and the full-length collection, Woods & Water, Wolves & Women (2012), and the head editor of the online journal, Gingerbread House Literary Magazine.
What hidden thing would she like to find? “I have a reoccurring dream of waking up, coming down for breakfast, and discovering through the window an extremely large gift-wrapped package in my backyard. In my dream, I never open the package, but the thrill and excitement of what the red wrapping might hide is lovely. I have no idea what I’d do if that actually happened, but it’s a pretty nifty emotion.”
Art — kAt Philbin is an artist based in Los Angeles, CA. She draws inspiration from fairy tales and personal mythologies to create her delicate illustrations with many, many tiny pen lines. See more of her artwork at www.katphilbin.com.
Back to Issue 6: Hidden Things