the ribbons hung limply
as she stared out
at the staircase
she wondered
if faeries
really existed
if one
could see her
would come to her
set her free
from the shackles
of fear

she sighed
long and low
as tears welled
in her eyes
the ivory stairs
reflecting
the bars of sunlight
across the moisture
gathered
on her cheeks

her bear
sat next to her
the button eyes
hanging
forlornly
as the mahogany door
at the top
of the stairs
sat waiting to be opened
only it knew
what was on
the other side

and she sang
wordlessly
a tune
of sorrow and loneliness
that wafted
impossibly
through the swinging branches
of the willow
to the witch
who scowled
then
up
up
up
into the sky
where the faintest sounds
reached
to the north star