The
Mermaid and Other Fairy Tales
by Yi-Mei Tsiang
an excerpt:
Red Riding Hood
Alone, in the dark woods
or a street, a car spews its
shadow, a wolf’s dark mouth.
There, the outline of a
body of leaves. Now she walks
alone, in the dark woods
of cement and dandelions, a bouquet
of yellow faces. A child’s sidewalk chalk
shadow, a wolf’s dark mouth
and the car, idling, plastic bags blown astray,
pushes back her hood, the scream of a hawk
alone in the dark woods
of opened doors. Her mother would say
strangers, don’t talk to them, don’t you talk
shadow, a wolf’s dark mouth
around her heart, beat quickened
and hush now, don’t you talk
alone, in the dark woods
shadow, a wolf’s dark mouth.
Yi-Mei Tsiang has been published widely in Canadian literary journals,
including CV2, Arc Magazine, Vallum Magazine, The Antigonish Review,
Other Voices, Room Magazine, and Interimmag. She has two
picture books and a non-fiction book forthcoming with Annick Press as
well as a full-length poetry manuscript supported by the Ontario Arts
Council. She is currently completing her MFA at UBC's optional residency
program.
