Will slip through a keyhole like a body of mist.
Will blow out the candles before the wish.
Will tangle shoelaces, muddle drawers.
Swap all the keys for cupboards and doors.
Skate a figure of seven instead of an eight.
Blow raspberries over the kissing gate.
Mix sugar with salt, and flour with pepper.
Will smudge the ink on a handwritten letter.
Tear up the paper in rock, paper, scissors.
Sink the skimming stone bouncing downriver.
Trip up the cow jumping over the moon.
Make the soup splash away with the spoon.
Then rip up the story – thinks nothing’s dafter
than living happily ever after.
*
Ella Duffy’s poetry has appeared in journals including The Poetry Review, The London Magazine and The Rialto. She is the author of pamphlets including Rootstalk (Hazel Press) and New Hunger (The Poetry Business), and her debut collection, Glimmer & Ground, is forthcoming from Bloodaxe Books. She has led poetry workshops in schools and for young poets, and has sifted for the Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award. Ella is currently working on her first collection of poetry for children.
Recent Comments