Cinderella

by Cory-Ellen Nadel

Lost to found. Broken

set right. World-glue, fuzzy socks, and a cuppa. That's

the way it's supposed to go, has gone, and will go on,

or she's really going to be annoyed.

Cinderella has nabbed her prince

by hook and crook and goddamn it

no vicious stepsisters are going to

ruin her wedding. So when darling sisters

show up limping, Queen Ella (name changes are quick

and cheap) has her trained birds at the ready and whips out her

walkie-talkie: "Pigeon six, this is Sparrow one, over."

Quicker than tears falling on graves they dive-bomb

with a peck-peck here

a peck-peck there

two blind women are cast out of the castle

and no one believes they suffered too.

Least of all Cinderella.