Maureen Sherbondy

Regrets of the Witch

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At home, the witch stirs
her winter soup
of clippings and bones,
then waits for lost children
to knock on the door.

It has been a long time
since aimless visitors
sought shelter from
snow and wind.

Lonely for the hum
of human voices,
the witch now regrets
eating that last meal
and the lingering bitter
taste the boy left
on her tongue.

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Maureen Sherbondy‘s forthcoming book is The Body Remembers. Her work has appeared in Calyx, Upstreet, New York Quarterly, and other journals. Maureen lives in Durham, NC. www.maureensherbondy.com