Inspired by a comment from one of my poetry classmates.
Magical Thinking
once there was a girl who thought poetry
a fairy’s gift: gems should fall from her lips
each time she opened them
when a toad sprang out instead
she believed herself cursed
shut her mouth and put away her pen
one day a peddler woman came to her
door, sharp eyes missing
nothing: my dear, you have a poet’s mouth
a small toad leaped to the ground in answer
tears filled the girl’s eyes
you do have the gift! the peddler crowed
puzzled, the girl opened her mouth
whenever no one was around, studied the toads
as they hopped off – she found their colors
brighter, their shapes more varied
than she had imagined
she began to write about them
her heirs found her papers many years later
our mother was a poet! they marveled
and it was so
The Daily Compost 