Poems by Ellen Huang
The Fifth Ace
~or~
Asexual in Wonderland
after “The Jabberwocky” by Lewis Carroll
Twas brillig and the slithy toves
did make such a mess in our backyard,
sighed Ace of Spades, burying heads in the grove,
for he was that kind of card.
All mimsy were the borogroves,
so romantic, and yet so far!
sighed Ace of Hearts, while painting a rose
for he was that kind of card.
He took his vorpal sword in hand,
In fair duel, beating him wouldn't be hard,
muttered Ace of Diamonds, quite in the rough
for he was that kind of card.
So stress with me by the tumtum tree,
where I will question myself apart,
piped Ace of Clubs, anxious 'bout who he'd be
for he was all kinds of a card.
And as in uffish thoughts they stood—
Club all a-questioning, Spade covered in dirt—
Now came their neighbor Alice, through the Tulgeywood
Spotting Heart all aflutter, Diamond drinking his hurt.
Hey you! Yes you! I brewed and brewed,
I've come to bring you all a snack!
They left their dread and leapt instead
For their friend galumphing back!
And hast thou brought the Jabberwock?
asked Club, while Diamond scuffed his head
Oh frabjous day! We feast today!
Spade cheered as Heart broke bread.
Twas brillig and the slithy toves
did gyre and gimble for each ace
but when their friend has come to call
they're happy Wonderland is their place.
Fairy Tale Love
first published in Necro Magazine
Not all fairy tales
By true love's kiss were resolved;
Not all love's that kind.
Hansel and Gretel
Lost, lured, suffering as one
Burned the witch as one.
Gerda and Kai, friends
Sacrifice through bitter storm
To warm frozen hearts.
Brother and Sister,
Runaway, spellbound siblings
Protect each other.
Seven ravens flock
Girl ventures to edge of world
To see her brothers.
Six swans taking wing
Girl sews in silence for years
So brothers can land.
And Thumbelina
Cared deeply for her swallow
Who helps her take wing.
So I wonder now
If a spell imprisoned you
Deep and dark and strong
Would holding you dear
All the comfort I can give
Be love true enough?
What if the swan lake's
Enchantment breaks by choices
To love, not one vow?
What if the beauty
Loved the beast differently,
Unconditional?
What if the mermaid's
Human prince shared souls, did life
Without a single kiss?
What if I told you
No need to change who you are
Nor me who I am
Love of friends transcends
Beyond til death do we part
Sweetest of them all.
Snogging Frogs
first published in Kissing Dynamite
I'm told it's sweet, the first kiss
There's fairy balm upon my lips,
there's strawberries to taste,
& then there's drinking,
& then there's a feast.
Upon my lips is the first time,
something that must be broken
at just the right time
Bottled princess virginity,
sparkling eternal youth.
The frog never asked for a kiss
exactly, but worse. To be kept,
to eat from my plate and drink
from my goblet, to sleep in a
bundle of sheets by my bed.
You understand why I threw
him. You understand why
the wall splattered.
You understand why I chopped
off his head.
Then a human prince emerged,
naked, from the wet frogskin.
I'm told he was handsome.
I'm told I should have given him
a chance. I'm told
the kiss would have
turned sweet.
But there is only the frog
only the tadpole
only the wet amphibian
where there should have been
transformation.
Nothing's worked yet.
Yin
What is there to talk about,
you scoff. Not doing
something, the absence,
the negative space, the white crayon
in the Crayola set.
The broken arrow
in the quiver.
What isn’t there to talk about?
How everywhere we turn,
we brush up against it.
We pale, we deepen,
we enhance, we change
everywhere other colors
are met.
Everywhere
is an inhale and we
are the exhale.
Everywhere
is noise and we
are the sabbatical.
Everywhere
is on fire and we are
the sacred cool of night.
We are the self in a world
of comparison.
We are the choice to love
in a world of falling.
FLOOD
(plain text version)
consider the oceans reclaiming the land
consider the wretchedness of man
consider the animals 2 by 2
male & female, destruction,
black-streaked skies once blue.
consider yourself righteous and seen in the world
consider s i x d a y s,
f o r t y d a y s,
t h e h u n g e r t h a t h u r l e d.
when I consider the Flood, a folklore begins
a world that rages in pain where there is sin
when I consider the ark, a light in the dark
survival of good despite all that’s torn apart,
I consider the tale where coupled animals are called
to make love while storm-tossed in a rollicking squall
how strange it is, then, the onslaught of acetic words
that claim humanity relies on keeping tiny boxes of boy-meets-girl
clipped up and hedged in, into nuclear families we hide
as if the world continues to only in small spaces reside
because the world jump-started with complementary design
folks cling tight to roots without seeing growth over time.
you’ve stolen the rainbow, they rage and they shout
the covenant for everyone! you’re making us doubt!
as if the colors aren’t painted in untouchable skies
as if a spiritual vision were some material prize
as if the promise that creation shall continue all the more
& the pleasure of multiplying as an option to explore
and the miracle in the skies painted with rain, vapor, and sun
were not an open door to a whole new world for everyone
as if the peace and diversity we are now free to make
would rob stories from the sky
and make the earth ache.
I consider the animals, the chosen beginnings, and their love,
consider that I might be drowned then if I didn’t have someone,
that my bloodline grows cold, so there’d be nothing to save
in a world going under the righteous dark waves.
But their context is not mine, their ancestry and roots
are but one specific color in a spectrum of divine truth.
I see tale of tempest, of wrath & of rage.
I feel a witness of cultivating tiniest of life in that age.
I find a heart of salvaging what we can, & from refuge, become anew.
I know a heritage of promise—I exist,
Cuz God’s will is steadfast still:
New colors come from mixing two.
