Fairy Tale

01_Alfred_Stieglitz_Dorothy_True_1919_1
It is the other stepsister,
the disinherited one,
known only as The Vamp,
who played dark foil
to Cinderella’s happiness,
when she seduced and blackmailed
the Prince, ignited a calculated run of scandals,
and forced Cinderella to yield the glass slipper,
which she painted black
and had vulcanized.
In this photo,
just recently unearthed,
she models both vanity and victory,
yet, ironically, some years later,
all that would remain of the burned Vamp
would be this leg, and this foot,
remnants of renegade taxidermy.

 

(Photo by Alfred Steiglitz).

 

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About John Biscello

Originally from Brooklyn, NY, writer, poet, performer, and playwright, John Biscello, has lived in the high-desert grunge-wonderland of Taos, New Mexico since 2001. He is the author of four novels, Broken Land, a Brooklyn Tale, Raking the Dust, Nocturne Variations, and No Man’s Brooklyn; a collection of stories, Freeze Tag, two poetry collections, Arclight and Moonglow on Mercy Street; and a fable, The Jackdaw and the Doll, illustrated by Izumi Yokoyama. He also adapted classic fables, which were paired with the vintage illustrations of artist, Paul Bransom, for the collection: Once Upon a Time, Classic Fables Reimagined. His produced, full-length plays include: LOBSTERS ON ICE, ADAGIO FOR STRAYS, THE BEST MEDICINE, ZEITGEIST, U.S.A., and WEREWOLVES DON’T WALTZ.
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