ROMANTIC MANTELPIECE
So many times she came to the window, to look
and see herself in the mirror of let’s pretend.
Truth and fantasy mingling with desire,
hastened thoughts of what is, and what
might have been.
Reality dealt its blows, whilst offering
wrap around sophism and gratuitous
protection. She refused their spurious
comforts and instead took up a hammer
and smashed the dream.
Finding herself in her own shoes and
particular destiny, she smiled.
(From Romantic Mantelpiece
– Jean Higgs 2007)