By Natalie Smith
I twirl in that forest green dress
That falls just by my knees
And then stand tall with a smile,
Gently swaying
like the Virginia pines that raised me.
The elderly ladies rejoice
And offer me a crocheted, golden scarf
That matches their bright Florida sun.
–
The ocean gifts me each twisted shell
One after the other,
A collection of white and orange spirals
Unbroken and whole
Smiles and laughter radiate from our lips
With each lucky find I make
The curved waves grin too
We don’t believe my endless discoveries.
–
My grandma calls me a lacy fairy
it’s the most beautiful thing she can think of.
Despite her shaky memory at the time of my crowning
She remembers my title and reminds me.
Natalie Smith 