The
Guest In the Attic
by John Grey
Something is hid away in an
attic while parents
parade photographs of a happy baby, cherubic
face framed by golden locks.
Books of fairy tales are tossed
in the fire.
No more ogres, witches, wicked stepmothers.
No more pretty princesses held captive in a tower.
A bilious green paint conceals
the writing
on the wall. The crib is sold in a yard sale.
Broken doll pieces are tossed in the trash.
But still the parents shudder
at the
guttural ranting, spit-laden gnashing, from above.
And where’s the cat? And where’s the plumber?
A plate of food is left outside
an attic door
three times a day. But, unfortunately,
the one inside is hungry four times a day.
© 2009 John Grey
John Grey has been published recently in the Georgetown
Review, The Pinch, South Carolina Review and The Pedestal,
with work upcoming in Alimentum and Big Muddy.
Find more by John Grey in the Author Index.
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