LET YOUR SHOES DO THE TALKING

Origami dreams 
unfolding, peeling their skins like shallots
"It's your lot mate!" Says a hazy sloth
Pointing at her glittering shoes
Made of pure gold:
As pure as gold can be
"Could do better myself, frankly!"
Clicks it's tongue
An orangutan: 
and strokes its skin: 
a hue of Tangerine

And she wonders how;
the wearer of gold shoes.
How could an orangutan 
Not as much of an expert tool user 
Could do better?

Better than the wealthiest 
Luckiest prettiest girl 
In tow.
She rolls her eyes
And sips her liquor

"Let your shoes do the talking 
Not your beady eyes!"
A slap on her face
Heavy as lead
Imprint of a bear's paw;
Sinking, stinging

Her skin

"That was unwarranted! For I am your queen!"
She shakes a finger!
"Your only right 
in this jungle:
in our jungle 
is to wear golden shoes? For you are a she and not a he
I condemn thee to a night of nightmares
and now begone, like a goose!"
The lion hammers the bark of
the yew!

No I won't be gone!
This is my jungle
my mama told me so.
I shall have a voice 
like the rest of you.
She roars:
the wearer of golden shoes.

A roar much louder than the lion's
king of the jungle.
"You broke our laws!
Written in stone!
You wear the glitter,
we do the talking!
Now begone, I banish you away!"
The lion roars again
All the leaves of the yew 
colour the ground under their feet
to a sea green.

"This is a law 
I agreed not!
It is rotten and corrupt!"
She roars again.
"I won't wear these shoes
even if they are finest rubies
No! No more!"
She releases her swollen feet
out of the golden shoes
and throws them at
the king of the jungle!

Droplets of blood
glittering like rubies 
on the noble forehead of
the king!
He roars a brutal roar.
"Now I banish you away, begone!"
He chases the queen; the lioness 
The former wearer of gold shoes!
She reaches to her pocket
and draws a sword
sharp as a tongue!

The king and its crew now are a haze
a distant dream
Origami dreams unfolding, peeling their skins!

Yasemin Balandi