The Girl with Missing Toes
Genesis Drake
Life made her into the cogs of the watermill
Taking away her budding qualities
And opening her to her mother’s manipulations
She has enough humanity to hesitate
at the brutality of losing her toes.
Just do it before he leaves
Her core is gone
like a rotted tree
with its oranges poked
for their goodness and acridness.
You won’t need them once you’re Queen
She takes the bloody steps in her best dress
with her mother in her ears,
Do better than your sister, and smile
Before the doves start squawking.