Fathers by Delia Sherman

STONE TELLING is a new literary speculative poetry quarterly dedicated to boundary-crossing and multi-perspective poetry. The current issue was released a few weeks ago and has some offerings of interest to readers here, such as Fathers by Delia Sherman.

In "Fathers," Sherman explores three father characters from fairy tales, The Woodcutter from Hansel and Gretel, The Merchant from Cinderella and The King from Snow White. Excellent reading.

Here's the beginning to whet your appetite:

1. The Woodcutter

He climbs the ladder, rungs creaking underfoot,
Dreary as hunger. At the back of the loft,
Two children cup themselves around a pocket of warmth
Like mice in the hay, chewing on straws for comfort.
Their whispering stops as he approaches,
Kneels, stiff as frost, touches their cold faces
And says—

Delia is great and a discussion of the poem is also available at Roundtable.