Her Dark Materials

Ceramic kittens and vases of sweetpeas,
pink begonias and drawings of Barbie.

Shadowy moon and polar explorers,
blaming my brother for breaking the light bulb.

Bouffant tulle of princess prom dress,
white silk taffeta with bright red cherries.

Canine teeth and born with claws,
stealing the shadow, blue from the store.

Strawberry lip gloss and Tamsin Braithwaite
Candy cotton ribboned aprons.

Plotting the death of the woman next door
with her loud music at a quarter to four.

Miniature dogs and rainbow angels,
Snow White shoes and a hundred cupcakes.

Mannequin hand in the manner of Cindy,
hallucinating zombies unleashed upon Wendy.

Peter Pan is running Apple.
Tink is working in a Brothel.

Accidentally murdering snails in the garden
stumbling drunk and treading on eggshells.

Black eyes, red grimace.

The sensation of falling from out of an aeroplane.
The absence of light. Candied peel.

Like a suitcase opened, a rapid applause.
Lazerus walking in my mother’s heels.