Thursday, August 30, 2018

Neil Ellman writes


Witch Scene
 (after the painting by Paul Klee)

The scenery and actors in place
the curtain risen
and footlights focused
on their tattered robes
revealing characters
as you might suppose them
concocting potions and charms
from frogs and chicken bones
turning them to stories of themselves
when they were young 
and had such beauty to seduce
a prince.

This is their theatre
not in a shadowy cave
but on a wooden, creaking stage
where they can make believe
that they are as real 
as the elves and trolls
who watch them play their parts
suspended in their disbelief
while they dine on slugs, grubs
and garter snakes.

The witches exit stage right
then left
then encore 
to polite and incredulous applause. 

No comments:

Post a Comment

Join the conversation! What is your reaction to the post?