Hi - Happy St. Patrick’s Day. Hope you are all doing well. I thought to bring you a poem of mine to stir up some magical thoughts. Here’s A Magic Mirror, a story of a perfect gift:
through the looking glass
the girl stood up to walk from
her wheelchair
not bound by disease or fear, she
ran by the pond to watch the geese
fly
then she bolted towards the tall trees
and climbed, looking above at the birds
that cradled the top branches
a height she didn’t fear
at ease in her new, stronger body
energy coursed through her
like a hungry wolf, clinging tightly
to each branch
she devoured every length with mighty
steps
each bough she touched stood empty
of the birds she had chased away
she held tight, sitting on the thickest
limb
she could see the world better
a view that left her breathless
so far and wide was the view of the
countryside
as big as the heavens, she thought
not the world from a wheelchair
a microscopic, stubby view
that curtailed her love of sight and sounds
which only served to keep her bound in
diminutive whispers of places unseen
and not walked
the looking glass broadened her view,
lengthening her fantasy
a gift from her grandfather who was
an old adventurer
who traveled the blue seas
battling the churning winds to find
undiscovered lands and treasures,
trinkets, and sometimes gold
he brought back to her the many
things he had discovered
like gems of different colored stones
precious artworks to hang on her bedroom
walls
lace to adorn her clothes and socks
ancient books of poetry
jeweled combs for her long hair
the most magical was the looking glass
where Gemma could walk and do all the
things she couldn’t do
she was no longer bound
the glass had given her the freedom she
so desired the most
the looking glass, shaped like an oval
mirror, its sides bounded in wood
her grandfather had tacked it on the wall
in her room next to her bed
and on a morning’s rise, she could see herself
as she always was inside, free
wanting nothing more than to walk
over and through the landscapes of the
world on her own
slowly and fast to the rhythm of time
to the rhyme of her heart’s desires
to fly without wings
to live without sorrow
to love without pain
to forgive all the tomorrows and return to
her, sunshine and smiles
and to give her the legs to walk a million miles.
Thanks for reading. All best, Giulietta
Website: https://www.gpassarelli.com
My poetry page on Medium: https://medium.com/ipoetry/giulietta-passarelli/home
You may wish to try my other Substacks too, The Footrest (on health and nutrition), and Royal Blue, Mimi the Mad Queen (fantasy series).