Today’s napowrimo.net prompt is to write a poem about a fairy tale from the point of view of a minor character. I forgot about that part once I started writing, so I had to make a couple of small changes after I finished. My poem is about Hansel and Gretel, ostensibly from the point of view of the birds who ate Hansel’s trail of bread crumbs…

1
It was her idea to send them away
He resisted—she insisted
before long, he gave in

They got wind of the plan
and left prepared
a trail would lead them back home

Little did they know
we would devour the trail
leaving them stranded

2
He lived quietly
alone in her shadow
the eye of her storm

Whatever she wanted
wherever she wanted to go
he would go

We flew past them everywhere
She led, he followed
everywhere they went

3
Wandering lost
starving and stranded
they were stunned by the sight

The house may as well
have been a mansion
of frosting and cream

an oasis of sweetness
among the dark of the woods
a fairy tale come true

She appeared from nowhere
tempted them in
to a trap not so tender

They sensed the danger
only it was too late—
they were trapped, no escape

She might have devoured them whole
stripped down to the bone
chewed up, spit out

But even demons have weaknesses
and they found hers
laid her out, escaped

(taking some goodies with them—
you know, just in case
This time they were nothing we could eat)

4
Weeks later
He sat at the table
older and alone

She had passed on
he was not ready to follow
to where she had gone

Suddenly
he was no longer alone
they were come home

So now they were three
plus a box of goodies
lucky to be free

to live happily ever after

(20 April 2016—posted April 21st)