by Jennifer Hollie Bowles

The little girl entered the ribbed-flower forest
where                fractal colors              arced poses
on                     skinny                       silver legs.

Wizards squeezed petal heads.

Guards stood with shiny cuff-links and shoes,
eyes                   darting                    carefully,
to the treasure chest of slick chestnut, gold-rimmed.

Thrones with red velvet cushions
stretched           amidst                       fleur-de-lis base.

The sibyls in black jawed,
holding              teary maidens            hostage at their bosoms.

Whispers: follow me to the place where goodness rests.

They clasped her on each side,
chanting,           the pageant                 stirring forward.

She saw the gaunt paper-face,

powdered to fairest cream

lined as bark,

eyes                   pried shut                   in the coffin.

BIO: Jennifer Hollie Bowles is the editor-in-chief and publisher of The Medulla Review and Medulla Publishing. Her writing has been accepted for publication in many literary venues, and she is the author of three poetry chapbooks: Fire and Honey (Flutter Press, 2010), Guerrilla Love (Propaganda Press, 2011), and Suck My Clit Freud (SAM Publishing, 2012). Jennifer’s nickname as a child was “Jenny Flea,” reportedly due to her small frame, but she suspects it was an omen of creative blood-sucking.