Stella Davis
Span
She has come to the end
of all her enchantments. Alone
in the cave of her spinning
all spent guises resonate through her:
she is at once ice-splinter and kindly dame,
bright whirlwind, wicked faery, thornbush, mire.
Her ancient spasms echo around her,
harsh, sweet-fingered, flirting, fanged.
It is not for us to choose
the moment of loveliness. Accept her
and all of it is ours, the threat,
the swoon, the terror, the bitter spark.
Her beauty is long gone, her soft moment
a speck of light in an ashy ferment:
but still our fingers hover over
the spindle, waiting to bleed.
of all her enchantments. Alone
in the cave of her spinning
all spent guises resonate through her:
she is at once ice-splinter and kindly dame,
bright whirlwind, wicked faery, thornbush, mire.
Her ancient spasms echo around her,
harsh, sweet-fingered, flirting, fanged.
It is not for us to choose
the moment of loveliness. Accept her
and all of it is ours, the threat,
the swoon, the terror, the bitter spark.
Her beauty is long gone, her soft moment
a speck of light in an ashy ferment:
but still our fingers hover over
the spindle, waiting to bleed.
Page(s) 19
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