Every morning I visit the ballerina.
When she twirls, so do I. Of course, I get dizzy before she does. She’s got an important job to do, guarding the jewelry. Most of my jewelry box contents cost under five bucks, the plastic bangles, the faux everything. Some of the necklaces date back to old boyfriends (whose names I no longer recall).
My jewelry box is vintage. It’s hard to believe the prima ballerina remains ever youthful, performing so precisely. I’ve never known her name, but she’s been my idol for years. She never lets me down.
In early elementary school I owned a green tutu and took ballet lessons. Oh, how I dreamed of becoming a professional ballerina. Truth be told, I was barely qualified as an amateur ballerina. Luckily, my career path veered in another direction.
These days I only remember a few ballet positions. My feet ache and my legs are slower, but I can still twirl and twirl with the tiny plastic ballerina.
(she/her) is drawn to the magic of words—poetry, song lyrics, flash fiction, puzzles, and stand-up comedy. Her latest book is Demitasse Fiction: One-Minute Reads for Busy People (Alien Buddha Press, 2023). She lives in Indianola, Iowa, USA with her husband and three cats.
