Metamorphosis
By June Kino Cullen, Inland Empire Branch
Once upon a time there was a frog
who took refuge in a muddy bog
blanketed over in pea-soup fog
on the outskirts of 19th century Prague.
Princess asked frog to retrieve her soaked ball.
Ball saved, promise of a kiss was his downfall.
Liar princess tried to throw him against the wall.
Just in time, he wriggled away from it all.
Frog wishing for a hidden loophole
to escape this animal-cruelty fable,
hopped over to Brothers Grimm in Storyville.
Befuddled, they all first did yell and quibble.
Then came upon the idea that frog abdicate.
They spent the next two weeks in rewrite.
Sign here and we will let you extricate
from the one who wants to assassinate.
Now, former frog lives in another story.
Changed to a girl with face all cindery,
not yet aware her life will be slippery
waiting for prince charming for eternity.
Fresh Ink April 2022
“Metamorphosis” originally appeared in the April 2022 Fresh Ink,
newsletter of the Inland Empire Branch.