Rapunzel
her mother’s favourite
doll–an antique, her princess gown
a confection of tulle and taffeta,
her long braid fashioned
from genuine human hair.
Like all the others, she
remained behind glass,
a treasured addition
to a never-ending collection
of surrogate sisters. Seen
but never heard, resplendent
in their patent shoes,
spotless frocks, rows
and rows of glassy-eyed
perfection, stiff
competition for a chubby flesh
and blood daughter fond
of mud puddles, prone
to […]
