Red Queen Meets the White Queen at an Open Mic on meeting Jane Lecroy

Red Queen Meets the White Queen at an Open Mic
     on meeting Jane Lecroy

O! You are a force of nature--
Never start a journey on a full moon
but on a winter's night at the cafe
Lewis Carrolls Red Queen meets
the White Queen
one looking for her child
the other living her life in reverse
at a poetry reading
in Amityville
of all places anti-parenthetical and
anti-poetical

For one night they are
evenly matched
living outside the pages of a book
admire one another's talents
and ambition
share love of poetry
in front of a painting
of the Red Queen
dancing in front of a full moon
by a Pagan Painter and Dancer
and for five minutes

We only get five minutes!!

They are equals and alive
as myths can be
forces of nature
and divine energy
flowing in all 7 directions

The Red Queen
catches a train
back to Washington Heights
back to her teaching job
her computer tech husband
her three children
and her life as domestic goddess

White Queen hops in a white pickup
rides back to the country
both where they do and don't belong
the end and beginning
of the journey
started on a full moon.