Playing Alma

playing Alma

the evenings spent with Alma
were entirely and completely
apart
her voice sometimes playful sometimes warm
could open a portal to narnia
or to the eye of the storm
Alma had the magic of shifting shape
of traveling anywhere
but above all
she had the magic of smoothing out
every furrowed brow

"do you see me"
she said
"i'm the tiny girl
from the toy store
i've taken my patent leather shoes in one hand
and i'm hopping from one foot to another
i can touch all the toys
the saleswoman doesn't seem to care
i am

the only visitor
the queen
or better yet
the tamer of wrinkles

to the right
dolls toy cars
colorful balls plush animals
to the left the picture book stand
with pop-up illustrations
don't squint and don't frown
your dreamer’s license lets you see
a castle with a tower
and a kidnapped princess waiting for her prince
annoyed
indignant even
that because of the kidnapping she missed all her appointments
lashes brows gel nails
anti-cellulite massage
a little botox
and she doesn't even have wi-fi to tell the world how upset she is"

i laughed like a little girl in turn
"but the prince"
"the prince is saving the dragon
he's a bit confused
and the dragon you see is utterly exhausted
on the verge of burnout"

"so the cranky princess stays like that
unsaved unmarried and uncomforted"
"there would be one hope in the greenish toad
from the next pop-up book
he's unkissed
and the fool was hoping
that thumbelina
would wait for him until next year"

"and her
thumbelina"
"she and her butterfly can fly among the stars
she's happy and blowing kisses"

"but let's get back to the cranky princess and
the unkissed toad
is there any chance to see them together"
"maybe yes maybe no
maybe the toad is afraid of being pecked by suction-cup lips
and would pivot toward the turtle
for she isn't tuned up
she even has a house
in case it rains and thunders the turtle
is actually quite a catch"

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