Ask Alice
The Hatter is mad
and sadder than that
the dormouse is asleep in the tea
And the glass holds the past
Will the memory last?
Will Alice come looking for me?
The words in my mind say I’m too undefined
No stories will capture my name.
While the White Rabbit screams
I’m alone in my dreams
Never to live what I’ve gained.
The Cheshire Cat
must know right where I’m at
‘cause his grin’s always over my head
But I’m on the run
since croquet is no fun
when the Red Queen assures me I’m dead
The White Knights slips by
with a smile in his eye
and says I must live to be free
And the Unicorn asks
if we’ve met in the past
he finds his belief within me.
Barbie Dockstader Angell
© 2009-present
This poem is both whimsical and haunting. I like the rhythm and the matter-of-fact way in which disturbing lines come across (like the white rabbit screaming, and the red queen assuring death).
ReplyDeleteFavorite stanza:
The Cheshire Cat
must know right where I’m at
‘cause his grin’s always over my head
Hi HKatz: I like that stanza a lot too! I think the combination of whimsical & haunting describes the best of Barbie's poetry. Thanks!
ReplyDeletehkatz, thank you. i have a bit of an alice obsession. i was trying to capture a balance in the sinister nature of the story while keeping it whimsical....i hope i've done that. :)
ReplyDeletejohn, yep....i just realized you said pretty much what i did. well-spotted. :) thank you.