Narrated by Ann Thornfield-Long
Illustration by Sue Babcock (mirror photo provided by Ann Thornfield Long. This is her Grandma Mary’s mirror)
Mary’s heavy-beveled mirror hoarded the corner
of the dining room where Inmans gathered on the farm
the family came from miles around to mourn her
she died from a spider bite on her arm.
In the dining room where Inmans gathered on the farm
at Grandma Mary’s house with her vintage things
she died from a spider bite on her arm
for three days she looked in the mirror at the vicious sting.
At Grandma Mary’s house with her vintage things,
a hundred year-old mirror and etched oil lamp
for days she stared at the red and vicious sting
the bite grew larger than a postage stamp.
Mary had a hundred year-old mirror and etched glass lamp
the family came from miles around to mourn her
the spider bite grew larger than a postage stamp.
Mary’s heavy-beveled mirror webbed the corner.
BIO: Ann Thornfield-Long, a co-author of Tennessee Women of Vision and Courage, (Crawford and Smiley, 2013), has published poetry in Artemis Journal, Silver Blade, The Tennessee Magazine, American Diversity Report, Liquid Imagination, Riddled with Arrows, Abyss and Apex, Wordgathering and anthologies. Winner of the Patricia Boatner Fiction Award (Tennessee Mountain Writers, 2017) for her unpublished novel excerpt was awarded a Weymuth residency (2017) and has received Rhysling, Pushcart and Best of the Net nominations.