Aunt Beast

“Life, with its rules, its obligations, and its freedoms, is like a sonnet: You’re given the form, but you have to write the sonnet yourself. “—Mrs. Whatsit, A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L’Engle

You found me hurt. You drew me to your chest
and saw me as I was, though you are blind.
You covered me in fur and gave me rest.
My body, hard as stone, sensed you were kind.
You spoke through tentacles that held my cheek.
Relaxed the frigid stiffness of my fear.
And though my father thinks I am too weak,
I have to rescue Charles. To us, it’s clear.
Your music taught me grace and I won’t quit.
I’ll live this love, more tangible than form,
and rescue my dear Charles from that thief, It.
Your song emboldens me to face this storm.
You know the Black Thing burns, and how we grieve.
Goodbye, Aunt Beast. Now, sing me how to leave.

***

Amy Baskin’s recent work has appeared in VoiceCatcher, Cirque, and Friends Journal. She is a 2019 Oregon Literary Arts Edna L. Holmes
Fellowship recipient. When she’s not writing, she matches international students at Lewis & Clark College with local volunteers to help them feel welcome and at home during their stay. Aunt Beast is a sonnet in iambic pentameter which pays homage to Amy’s favorite Madeline L’Engle character.