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.