a cinderella story
she wore crinoline and ruffles
tacked on with sap and honey
earrings made from dewdrops
and a necklace of morning glory vine
(each leaf a green heart of forgiveness)
she danced with the whirl and the twirl
of a long lost travelling gypsy
(which is to say she was barefoot)
and the music called forth
by the bells on her ankles
echoed throughout the hall
and the prince
(oh, the prince!)
how he carried a shoe
on a satin-faced
sleep-wrinkled pillow
offered up with a bow
and a deeply felt flourish
and (of course)
the perfect fit
but she’d already chosen
the sky as her lover
the moon as her (k)night
and so,
in the end
she sipped champagne
from the toe
of a willow bark slipper
raised her arms
with a smile
and invited
each and every
singing soldier
painted lady
purple wallflower
to tango
a path to the door
and her dance card
left behind
(with gratitude)
became a blank-faced
notebook
of possibility
.
.
.
July 17th, 2014 at 8:42 am
a timeless and wondrous story with a happy ending (if you make it so)
July 17th, 2014 at 8:50 am
oh, if you are not going to be barefoot…a willow bark slipper might work just fine…ha…a girls got to know what she wants eH? and the sky and the moon will not disappoint…ha…magic
July 17th, 2014 at 9:01 am
i love a barefoot cinderella. and i want to borrow her earrings. thursday fairy tale with flowers. love.
July 17th, 2014 at 11:11 am
Oh, I like this version of Cinderella – the blank notebook full of possibilities… and the champagne sipped out of a willow-bark slipper!
July 17th, 2014 at 12:15 pm
love the ‘drinking from a willowbark slipper’. Have you read Cinderalla Skeleton? It’s a fun take on the cinderalla story with some really cool illustrations.
July 17th, 2014 at 6:30 pm
lovely fairy tale… earrings made from dewdrops and a necklace of morning glory vine… this line give such a wonderful picture… thank you
July 17th, 2014 at 6:38 pm
Wow, this fairytale maiden is sure to be the bell of the ball. Love all the fantasy imagery. Enjoy~
July 17th, 2014 at 6:52 pm
Wow, I love the classic twist to the fairy tale ~ How she chose the sky & knight over the prince & inviting everyone to tango on the dance floor ~
Always a pleasure to read you kelly ~
July 17th, 2014 at 7:21 pm
That was just beautiful. The end leaves a strong, lasting impression. I really like the feel of it. And to become a blank faced notebook…the power to become the story, write your own ending…just love.
July 17th, 2014 at 7:34 pm
Ha! What a refreshing tale… revised in your words. The feminists would be happy with this version.
I love how you incorporate small elements to add into the serenity of the piece.. particularly moon being the k(night), champagne sipped from wooden slipper, twirling and whirling like a lost travelling gypsy. The nature aspect of it is profound. This is one of my favorites by you.
July 17th, 2014 at 8:34 pm
I want to sip champagne from a willow bark slipper. Beautiful write. That last last line nailed it.
July 17th, 2014 at 8:48 pm
Cinderella Redeux, a revisionist’s day dream; a marvelously well written Un-Fairy Tale, with gypsy eyes & spine, with barefooted bellicosity; & goodness, saying NO to a prince; that’s the clue this was the modern version, not a hackneyed rehash, a whole new perspective; a sweet hard ride; thanks.
July 17th, 2014 at 9:15 pm
this is a very unique take; how you ended this, and her choosing the moon as her knight; she knows exactly what she wants and writes her own destiny…
July 17th, 2014 at 10:40 pm
What a fine exchange – a cotillion of familiar faces, weaving down the line linking arm to branch, and flower to vine. Let’s run away in a caravan beneath the Tuscan moon! Beautiful write!
July 18th, 2014 at 12:01 am
oh how magical she is…. and now i want earrings made from dewdrops…ha… very cool
July 18th, 2014 at 8:25 am
I love the idea of a blank faced notebook of possibility. Makes me think of each new day. Every day we have a blank page to write on as we wish. I love the idea of the dance card including singing soldiers, painted ladies, and purple wallflowers. What a delightful time for all!
July 18th, 2014 at 10:30 am
Fascinating. She wants it all!
July 18th, 2014 at 11:19 am
This makes me happy, happy, happy. Reading this made my smile and my heart beat just a tiny bit faster. Thank you.
July 18th, 2014 at 11:27 am
love this version…and how i love her ornaments…
July 18th, 2014 at 11:30 am
ahhh dancing barefoot under the moon – and a perfect way to use that dance card too! Lovely and fun – K
July 18th, 2014 at 12:24 pm
THE CLOTHING OF FLOWERS..are among the greatest of all
garments of life..
So simple..
So TRUE..
TO COME
AS
ONE
IS!
SO SMILES..AND HAVE A
great BALL OF LIFE!2:)
July 18th, 2014 at 1:11 pm
barefoot is exactly how I pictured her. I think she might have it right, choosing the sky as her lover and the moon as her (k)night. a stunning and entrancing tale you have capture here.
July 18th, 2014 at 1:42 pm
This is fabulous and so, so very beautiful. I love the twist on the traditional fairy tale–it really gets back to the roots of some of the older and lesser known versions where Cinderella is given her gown by a birch tree growing over her mother’s grave and spends half her time escaping the prince by jumping into pear trees. But then your tale goes a few steps farther than that, and it’s amazing.
July 18th, 2014 at 8:44 pm
Each leaf a green heart of forgiveness. What a wonderful line! Beautiful work here.
July 19th, 2014 at 6:30 am
I always love to read your magical words.
July 19th, 2014 at 5:28 pm
Told with a bit of sweetness and whimsy. Barefoot in the garden sounds like the perfect place to be. Lovely!
July 19th, 2014 at 5:55 pm
You have for me captured some beautifully sensuous moments to make any ball memorable. So well done.
July 21st, 2014 at 2:50 am
her own – love this ~
July 21st, 2014 at 10:21 am
WOW !