A CHARMED LIFE

No one lives a charmed life
And who’d want to?
You’d never know if love is love or just a potion
You’d find yourself in a dreamless sleep 
just by eating an apple
Or pricking your finger on a spindle.
Your life would follow a path someone else had written.

I prefer the messy part
The times when your mascara streaks across your face
When love is love is love
And only you are to blame.

Heidi Slettedahl is a US-UK dual national who goes by a slightly different name professionally. She has been published in a variety of online literary journals. Her first collection of poetry, Mo(u)rning Rituals (Kelsay Books), came out in July 2024. She hopes to live up to her potential now that she is over 50. Her most unusual talent is her ability to ride a unicycle. She’s never tried to write a poem while doing so, but there’s always tomorrow.