Written by Christine Chu

POETRY | Music Box by Christine Chu

revolving cylinder
worn grey with honey gold stains

plucking at loose tired tuned teeth
on time-marinated steel comb

making Pachelbel wobble at
every wonky clang of Canon in D

singing dust-coarsened melody
that no longer glides

but trudges and
sinks

only

dainty
little ballerina
pink and poised

untouched

by age
still holds her perfect pose

and spins on

tiptoe

twirling
to an unsung song of

sacrifice

to the

echoes
of a mother’s muted

heartbeat and

a child’s

first cry

*** Header image by Daniel Tuttle on Unsplash.

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