I. Sometimes
we tuck ourselves
inside and remind our
younger self that she
is safe.
Sometimes
we encounter the wolf
and she is not.
II. I think I understand
why she carried a basket,
a girl has got to have
somewhere to store her
shattered bits, after the wolf
ambushes her in the woods.
III. What happens after
she is eaten? Does the wolf
remember her name?
IV. Did anyone interview
her, inquire about the magic
passed down from grand
to daughter? Did she also
inherit the gift to
shape shift?
V. A girl who knows
where she’s going
never knocks, she just
opens the door
knowing that her destiny
will answer.
VI. If a wolf
belches, and there is no
one there to hear it,
does it make a sound?
Imani Sims is a spicy Chai tea–loving Seattle native who spun her first performance poem at the age of fourteen. She believes in the healing power of words and the transformational nuance of the human story. Imani works to empower youth and adults through various writing courses and interdisciplinary shows all over the nation. Her book (A)live Heart is available on Sibling Rivalry Press.