Underwonder by Amanda N. Butler

The mermaid, a grip tight in each hand,
kept the comb to herself, but
threw the looking glass – 
unaware of the sea-queen’s spells – 
and was consumed by the tides
of the crescent trench,
and the sea bunny slug
with a waterproof watch
crawled after her – 
and the coral sang her arrival.

____________________________________________________________

Amanda N. Butler is the author of chapbooks “Tableau Vivant” (Dancing Girl Press, 2015) and “effercrescent” (Dancing Girl Press, 2017) as well as “How a Fairy Gets Her Wings” (Origami Poetry Press, 2018). Her poems have been published in Haikuniverse, Hedgerow, Leaves of Ink, and others. She is the Poet Laureate of Oldsmar, FL and can be found on Twitter @arsamandica.