EMERGING FEMINISMS, Unbirthing Little Red Riding Hood

By Ramisa Raya

 

to kill your daughter,
wrap her up in white satin
and place her in the hands
of wolves

then when you find her
on your doorstep,
stained with scarlet:

lock your door,
shut your blinds,
and turn off the lights,

because
nobody is home.

• murder weapon: shame

 

they
accused
me
of
crying
wolf–

they
couldn’t
see
through
the
woodcutter’s
mask–

until
it
was
too
late.

• murder weapon: denial  

 

Mother,

I
disappeared yesterday
with a basket of lemons
and an empty flask
of wine

She
pressed a wrinkled finger
to my lips and filled
my hands

They
faltered under my gun–
their large ears,
eyes,
mouth twitched;
I saw red

You
ignored
my waving
scarlet hood

He
is gone,
you
are gone
she
is gone
but I remain

   murder weapon: abandonment

 

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Ramisa is a law student and hobbyist writer. Her collection ‘Unbirthing Little Red Riding Hood’ is part of a greater anthology, ‘Speak’ – a collection of folklore and fairytale free-verse subversions that restore the voices lost (unspoken, silenced) in feminine discourse. She welcomes you warmly to her blog: http://ramisatheauthoress.wordpress.com/.