time, once upon a

A little boy and a little girl
lived in a house with a
little jelly jar that slept
high in the kitchen cupboard
under its little cardboard lid.

The little jelly jar had a
magical ability to replenish
the amber ambrosia
in its tummy.

While their mommy
made supper each evening,
and the little boy and little girl
played nearby, their daddy
would nonchalantly take
the little jelly jar
from its place in the cupboard,
remove its little cardboard lid
and have a sip of the ambrosia,
and quickly slide the jelly jar
and its little cardboard lid
back onto the shelf.

Soon, the amber ambrosia
would awaken
the sullen and unreasonable
questions and expectations
that had spent the day sleeping
in the daddy’s head,
and had the magical ability
to spring up later
in the children’s dreams
and lives.

Not all fairy tales
end happily
after, ever.