The Puzzle

Riddle ye, riddle ye, riddle my name,
Utter it once, you shall have all your will,
Manchild and marriage and honor and shame,
Praise from the lively and peace from the still.
Enter my chamber and touch all that's there,
Lie in my meadow and drink from my brook.
Stand on my stonework and sit in my chair,
Take what it takes you to take a good look.
If you can't guess it, you know what I'll do?
Less than you think, but enough. I can tame
Time in its turnings, the wee one and you
Set like two stones in the ring of my name.
Kindness for kinfolk and nothing for thee.
If you would have him, first reckon with me.
Name me my name and you both shall go free.

Hansel

Out of my iron cage, I turned the draft
Adrift. I seized her ankles when her head
Had gone into the oven. There instead
Of me she went to check the heat. All craft
And guile, I shut the door and shot the shaft
Through ring to hold that door. If I were dead
She'd pick my bones and grind them for her bread.
Poor Gretel screamed and screamed. She should have laughed.
And then we two were rescued. That's not true.
I picked the flints that marked our way, the stone
Was softer than their hearts. I saved the few
Crumbs from my supper, all the birds had flown.
Our mother told us what we had to do.
Our father wept and left us all alone.

The Dark Queen

Don't ask what beauty buys. It is a gift
That cripples. Turn your own dark eyes away
From what mine saw. I wakened to a day
I never wanted. In my glass, I shift
And shudder and I watched the shadows drift
To darkness. All I knew of beauty lay
Within those shadows and their will to stay.
The dwarves meant nothing. None I knew could lift
Life high enough to look again through eyes
I'd envied and that whitened cheek was true
To death or sleep. I didn't know how wise
I was or weak. So really all I knew
Was that those eyes were shut. The mirror lies.
The truth: I did what beauty made me do.

Grandmother

Inside the wolf I touched his liver with my tongue.
I wrapped my fingers all around his heart
And blessed the beat of blood. I lay me down
Between his ribs and let each sighing lung
Massage the ache from these old bones. Apart
From earth, a part of older earth, I'd grown
A snout and such big eyes and teeth so bright
They shone like sunlight. There within the cave
I called my home, I lay within his dream.
I don't remember why she lit the light.
I don't remember who she thought she'd save.
I think about the axe and want to scream.

Rapunzel

From the rampion root I've sprung,
Silver eyes and golden tongue,
Dwelling in a tower of stone,
Daughter to a ragged crone.
Long and loose my golden hair
Fell to form a winding stair.
Who would tread here wins a love
Deep as it is high above.
Then my lips betrayed their trust.
All my locks were lopped and lost.
Love was taken by surprise.
Thorns put out my lover's eyes.
In a bare and empty place
Bore I babes who bore his face.
Blind he sought and found us three.
Eyes have tears for eyes to see.