The Witch's Lesson

[smokingboot]

‘See, here, they are!’ She picked a bag of onions
And showed me faces on each sprouting head
they dangled in their sacks, each one smiling,
desperate to plant themselves in any bed

‘This way at first, but then they burst their green
Some skyward into rockets and the sun.
Some shoots just fall to earth, eaten by goats
who stink and chew and follow anyone.’

‘What happens to the rockets?’She just smiled
and showed me coins stamped with the crowns of kings.
‘These ones are rare, but true if they are found,
and make some beautiful and deadly things.'

I looked around the garden of the witch
the goats and coins and onions of her spell
From which so many creatures take their shape
And shape our world to suit themselves as well.

© Copyright and all rights reserved Debbie Gallagher May 2014