Let
her see
tiny men
thatching roofs
and smiling down
pointing out fish-eye stones
and Kuhli Loaches
volving

Let
her think
that all she sees
are Ginger Sticks for Alice
Guppies, Aspens, Piggies, Birch.
a ladder, just for Alice.

Her
string
of pearls
broke and
scattered upon
the floor, popping
as they hit parquet
and hummed in
all directions
bouncing
like tiny

moons

of

ice.

Oh,
Lady
Anne!
Your pearls
are off to places
unknown!  You may
lose some of them in the
shadows of this dim ballroom.
Quickly, we must gather them
with our fans and the skirts
of our gowns to be sure.
Anne sighed and said,
Don't upset yourself,
Lady Gwendoline.
They are just a
sad remnant
of Eddy's
love.

     They
                    aren't
                                 ­       genuine.