bird. As in the shape of a charm, which was garnished with tiny lacquer roses. When it collided with her watch, their house would murmur with the most startling music.
charm. An item most often used to evoke memories. Consider the piercing green eyes of the pewter bird that he gave to her on her name day. Its little rhinestones blazing against her black wool coat.
clasp. The broken lobster hook heralded his loss of interest in her formidable collection of jewelry. Despite the infinite variety of her pins and brooches, his trinkets no longer appeared beneath her window.
dancer. A tiny porcelain figure that collapsed beneath the lid of an elaborately engraved box. After his departure, she sorted rhinestones as it twirled on a white pedestal.
field. Meaning the green expanse outside her window, which was overrun with dead poppies. They realized that the landscape, rather than affection for one another, was the source of their inexplicable euphoria.
locket. Characterized by a hidden compartment, most often containing photographs of the beloved. Upon opening the glittering charm, she realized that its frame had always been empty.
Kristina Marie Darling is a graduate of Washington University. She is the author of eight chapbooks, most recently Night Music (BlazeVox Books, 2008).
