Dancing with the Faerie King

Editor’s note: Welcome to the first poem with the theme “Healers, Midwives, and Cunning Folk.” We’re especially proud that Sara Cleto and Brittany Warman are the authors of this poem, because they are the great minds behind the amazing Carterhaugh School of Folklore and the Fantastic. If you’ve never heard of them, follow this link to learn more.

Though I prefer the kitchen cauldron,

Rosemary, basil, and sage -

Maidens all must take their turn

Dancing with the Faerie King.

Moonlight tangles round my throat,

Witch hazel, rose, and lavender -

And secrets line my slippers,

Telltale scents lost under perfume and wine.

Crystal glasses drunk too deeply,

Lemon, mint, and orange bitters - 

They know their King is an ugly truth

Behind sharp teeth and a beautiful lie.

Revolution in my heart

Oleander, hemlock, and pennyroyal - 

My shoe’s secret in the cup, 

I offer the King a shy smile and my glass. 

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Bio: Dr. Sara Cleto and Dr. Brittany Warman are award-winning folklorists, teachers, and writers. Together, they founded The Carterhaugh School of Folklore and the Fantastic, teaching creative souls how to re-enchant their lives through folklore and fairy tales. Their fiction and poetry can be found in Enchanted Living, Uncanny Magazine, Apex Magazine, Liminality, and others.

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Image by Amanda Bergloff, Contributing Editor and Artist at EC. @AmandaBergloff