Diane Webster
Sandals arranged on the curb
like leather traps enticing
innocent or curious Cinderellas
to try on open toes, breezy heels
for perfect fit to whisk them home
to a mystic castle in the mountains
only to discover her mistake too late
as straps embed buckle
impressions across her insteps
in tighter, tighter notches as toes
press together in grotesque grimace
when numbness leadens each foot
and the thought of gnawing on your ankles
throbs stronger, stronger, stronger still
against the hunter giving away free sandals.
Diane Webster‘s work has appeared in Old Red Kimono, North Dakota Quarterly, New English Review, Studio One and other literary magazines. She had micro-chaps published by Origami Poetry Press in 2022, 2023 and 2024. Diane has been nominated for Best of the Net and a Pushcart. She was a featured writer in Macrame Literary Journal and WestWard Quarterly. Her website is: www.dianewebster.com.