Meanderings of a Girl Named Alice
Golden hair the color of honey
flowing down her naked back.
Hunger pushing up her throat.
Skinny-dipping beneath pale
moonlight, Alice with her flat chest
and pure clean skin.
Like a swan, the wet curve
of her shoulders bobbing in and out
of the water as the cheshire cat
appears and disappears, grinning
while he watches from his perch.
***
Of That Time
Frightened, Alice runs through
the forest, stars begin to blink
on and off. Midnight pins her
to her senses. Moonlight wraps
her in its coil. The king of spades
is chasing her. He's got the cock-
eyed squint of a madman.
Pointy shoes and a rectangular body.
***
Periscope, Telescope
When I found her
she was hiding
in a cupboard
between two stacks
of porcelain dishes,
a pool of tears around her.
"Well!" she must have thought
to herself. "At least I'll be safe
in here."
What a wounded girl, I thought
as a river of salty tears carried
me off.
***
Equinox
When the experiment is over
and Alice awakens on the lap
of her sister, no blade of grass
remains detached.
No furry pink rabbit in a waistcoat
crying about how late he is.
No frightened mice or grinning cats.
No tweedledee no tweedledum.
***
Unimportant Reticular Patience
Alice, at some point, found herself
in a court of law. Found herself
salivating deep in her throat for
something sweet to eat. Found
in herself a volatile spirit.
The Hatter stood beside her fidgeting.
The Dormouse fast asleep.
King and Queen, possibly half-brother
and sister. The jury hung like crows
over their clean slates.
***
Everybody Loves Alice
would like to slip her a mickey,
something to take the edge off.
The oldest trick in the book.
Lisa Zaran's work has appeared in
LauraHird.com, Whistling Shade, John Vick's The Adroitly Placed Word,
Mannequin Envy (summer issue), SNReview, Alba, Underground Window, Carnelian
and others. Her newest book, The Blondes Lay Content, is now available at Lulu Press.
She's also recently launched her own personal web site:
http://www.lisazaran.com .