Sestina

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This sestina is dedicated/inspired Joyce Carol Oates' short fiction Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been

 

Trapped in her world of music

 

Her thin wrists locked by bracelets of jingling charms

 

Searching frantically in the mirror for affirmation of her beauty

 

Silky hair flowing as she strode with darting amber eyes

 

As the boys stared she unleashes her piercing laughter.

 

 

 

He watched as her breathless laughter

 

Entwined with the blaring music

 

Hiding beneath dark sunglasses, his shatter-glass eyes

 

Roared that he desires to charm

 

Through the heart of the sapphire-eyed beauty.

 

 

 

To gather praises for her undeniable beauty

 

She switched her cynical laughter

 

 To jingling giggles as she changed

 

Into the appropriate outfit for home with music

 

Bouncing in her head and charms

 

Jingling like alarms on her wrists. Invited by her eyes

 

 

 

He thought that He has to have her!  Eyes

 

Burning as he watched the beauty

 

Walk away, leaving shards of charm

 

 And pieces of nervous, forced laughter

 

Lingering in the air. Looking for fitting music

 

Soundtracks in his loose change

 

 

 

Littered car as he laughed under the changing

 

Shades of the desert sky. Eyes

 

Set in the direction the music

 

pointed, he goes after the beauty

 

who has hair the color of magnesite stone. Laughter

 

slashing through the desert without charm.

 

 

 

He said in his monotone Baby I am your Prince Charming!

 

Oh she had not the chance to change.

 

She screamed desperately for her mother as his laughter

 

Penetrated through her with his shattered eyes

 

Taking in the powerless, shaking beauty

 

Who was betrayed by her music.

 

 

 

Bits of charm reflected in his shatter-glass eyes

 

As the changed, obeying beauty

 

Stumbled toward his laughter, following his music.

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