“Terrarium” by Avra Elliott (fiction, ’15)

An excerpt from the poem “Terrarium” by Avra Elliott (fiction, ’15), published at Fairy Tale Review:

Terrarium

I’ve made the pitcher on my table human again.
Her elegant white neck, belly slightly bloated
with flowers. Candles my mother stole stand
in borrowed silver candlesticks, and I can’t understand
why one has burnt faster than the other.

If I bought these sleek white chairs the same day,
why is one splay-legged, and treacherous?
There are too many dollhouses for a house with no
children. Not enough water in the vase of petulant
blooms. Grass has grown through the bedroom […continue reading here]