She’d been warned against the sky
eating her like dust in summer - but when the ladder fell,
offering her up to where
devils wait: sooty black, round-bodied,
chuckling to hide the sun.
Magdalene’s seven and more;
singing the mist, she climbed.
They promise too much, dancing
‘round her. Dry-lipped smiles
shifting in half-light.
She can shake her head,
but cannot fly;
just wander the mist,
frighten the babes with half
sobs and devil’s songs; ‘til finding-
hidden, the holy leaf, she takes
three in her teeth - to blow
the devils back up and fall
into daylight.
Well I like it
ReplyDelete-The Neglected Husband
You inverted this--the bad is up, while the good is down.
ReplyDeleteThat's nothing short of brilliant.
The three leaves in her teeth has that satisfying finality that makes one go, "Yes, of course. How could it be anything else?"
You need to submit this here: http://www.goblinfruit.net/2012/summer/guidelines/
Thanks to you both!
ReplyDeleteChristie, I will! Thanks for the link!
I love this.
ReplyDeleteHuckleberry picking snuck up on me and I didn't get around to participating in the contest, but I think you'd have beaten me anyway. This is splendid--a complete story and so much imagery in so few words. Well done. :)