The Girl With The Key by Kristina Corcoran
There is a girl dressed all in black who braids her hair with stars
The sparkle in her eyes an enigma, her cheeks the ruddy shade of Mars
Under lazy sunshine she sits and reads her magic book
And thinks of spells to cast as she gives the world an impish look
Her sense of awe and wonder guides her dreaming heart
Desiring to visit other dimensions in case this universe falls apart
So with a flick of her nimble wrist she opens special doors
And steps through to worlds of unknown legends and lores
Aloft on joy’s breath she sees a kaleidoscope of lands
From forests of trees like jade idols to deserts of cinnamon sands
She rides the dragon of night as it takes a bite out of the moon
Its brooding light bleeding on shifting spectral dunes
And with the dawn of molten gold she sees the gods play stochastic chess
Laughing amongst themselves to judge who is cursed and who is blessed
She philosophizes with artists who travel on astral railroad tracks
As they ride past turquoise fields and mountains of burgundy wax
In a lavender meadow she is embraced by fairies as kind as they are clever
With wings of lace and merry eyes, if to love is to live they will surely last forever
She sails on an indigo sea where mysterious islands beckon fertile waves
And deep below pearls glow orange and pink in cozy womblike caves
She lays on the floor of an ancient cathedral in silence so noble in its grace
As the sunlight reflects stained glass icons onto her pensive face
And from a foreboding cavern she hears such a frightening noise
Like the weeping of a child in a mausoleum of broken toys
It is the cry of Timidity, lamenting its wasted life
Had it more self-confidence its deeds could have cut like a knife
She speaks with a queen so beautiful, diamonds sparkle on the tips of her lashes
In a garden where wildflowers grow from soil fertilized by ashes
The queen says: Across the heart and through the mind
Beyond the soul those who seek shall find
And exalted they shall be for daring to soar
Shaking off mundane mortal dust, transcending to Divinity’s core
There are places where laughter is like thunder because everything is funny
And gentle people feed from the sky because the clouds are made of honey
The girl sees all this and more and sheds a tear sweeter than dew
For she knows these worlds are inside herself, and yes, they are also inside of you.