Playing Dress Up

The little piano plays The jewelry box is open The ballerina spins on delicate springs; The jewelry is out

She wraps it over her small little body mommy is not looking the toddler becomes a queen the stuffed animals are awake and clapping glitter spills out of her smile giggles paint the room

“Look mommy aren’t I pretty?”

The mirror in the sparkly box reflects mommy tangled in white bed sheets back bent on a twin size bed limp arm staring at an empty bottle on the floor

she came to read nighttime stories but the pink girl dances with the ballerina instead

Twirling out of black outs and pearls The stuffed soft best friend lowers its head and rolls the tragedy under the bed with its button nose They go on playing pretend

She steps into a size 8 after-work stiletto not knowing she will be walking in the same shoes some day.