{defying Narcissus}


what Red learned from the wolf

when we met in the woods
that day it was not
the first time; the late sun
glinted grey into silver just
as I remembered those nights
he’d smoke my window free
of the intrusive moon, a shadow
with teeth, a delight.
how heavy his breath, mouth of juniper
and small things that run the woods I
never took, Mother sure
something lurked and I
all she had / left / after
I curled snug as a lie
under the down tick, alone,
running this new raw tongue
over sharpening incisors.

so that day when she said Go
and it too late to take the long
way round, I took the red
cape, scent of cinnamon and burned
sugar draped in its thick folds, warm
from the kitchen, hot basket
in my hands / I went
straight in, Mother’s eyes clouding
at my reckless.

long story short, we met
in a clearing. like I said, not
the first time. but here, his
territory, no pillow no comforter
I threatened to scream, call the men
from their woodsheds / he laughed at me.
fangs to molars a head-back jaw-cracking laugh
so I ran.

this is how it happened: he knew
where she lived. my legs nothing
to his lope, the cape catching
on low branches, all
I can hear is howling as if
he were twenty of him

I charged the house, slammed
the screen door open, he was there
already, her kerchief grotesque
on his head / red yes blood red /
he locked the door.
I knew the game, whispered code
at a cold window:
what big eyes you have
what big hands you have
what big what big teeth

the better the better to eat you with my dear

they will tell you it’s the woodsman
who saved me, leave
a woman stranded in a kitchen
rolling dough while the wolf ravages
her daughter / no. my mother
took that door with three swings
of a hatchet / I don’t know
how she knew but I swear
as he lay on that floor, pie knife
cleaving his heart, that damn wolf
was smiling.

***

for information about the workshop I'm teaching November 7, 14, and 21 on "Getting Over Yourself: writing and performing the non-autobiographical poem," email workshops@louderARTS.com.

yay!