Ugly Duckling

When I open the door . . .

knock knock

If only it had come with the sweet little girl

Who sold girl scout cookies and looked up to you amiably

Always asking what kind you wanted with utter politeness

 

When I open the door . . .

KNOCK KNOCK

If only it had been given by that uninvited guest at your dinner table

The one that chewed obnoxiously loud

And grunts with its feet on the table, as he complained about your mom’s chicken

 

But no

When I opened the door . . .

There were no sweet little girls

No uninvited guests that walked into my life

Instead, there was a duck

 

I did not mutter, and you did not misunderstand me

An ugly duckling walked into my life

Shining red feathers dripping down its neck

White feathers shimmering in black on its body

 

An ugly duckling walked into my life and gave me it

It wasn’t very pretty

In fact, I chose to ignore it

Never bothering with trying to open it

 

But every day, the ugly duckling would come back with it

And every day, I would close the door

 

But soon, it surrounded me

The ugly duckling came with it everywhere

 

In tall grasses

In slippery waters

On front porches

On back porches

 

There was no escape for me

And no decline that stopped the ugly duckling

 

And so. . .

 

I gave in

 

On crouched knees

I allowed myself to open it

I let myself feel

What the ugly duckling wanted so badly to give

It

 

It was vicious

But gentle

Ferocious and wild

But fierce and pure

 

I let it melt into me

To flow in my blood and into my mind

A sense of calamity and peace swarmed my mind

It made my fingers move and move

Speaking, Yelling, Roaring

What it gave me

To express what the ugly duckling gave me

Inspiration

 

Words into sentences

Words into books

Words into art

 

The ugly duckling was simply a bird

One who stuck around

With persistent eyes, it always came

With or without food, it came to greet us at our door

Brown eyes

White, red, brown feathers

What more is there to say

Than that the ugly duckling

The one who gave me it

Always came to stay

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