by Ellen Huang
She comes in with black-framed glasses to see the menu
but takes them off briefly for a flicker of
posed reflection. She may come with black tee,
bright characters, cheap amulet from Amazon
& overstuffed Ugly Duckling tote bag.
She may take extra time staring like a psychic,
but the menu she’s choosing from seems
to be something improvised in the mind.
She says please & thank you after
fumbling with her wallet
& taking her corner of the cafe
with childish delight.
She comes in sometimes with a cape
like blue insect wings, or like the captain
of some classic novel.
She switches from device to notebook
constantly, as if gossiping to the phone
about what her pen just said to paper.
(Sometimes, I suspect the notebook may be
just for show.)
But the funniest thing is she decides
a different name every day,
for every caffeinated concoction,
every drink sharpie-adorned with title
all for our announcement of some
princess, sorcerer, or sidekick.
We may say it plain but I’ve seen her giggle
at an iced venti latte labeled “Thumbelina”
or even some normal name
with obscure in-joke. Perhaps someday
it may even be Gothel or Rumpelstiltskin,
with the names she’s collected like skins
to step into. We’re keeping a running list.
As if we do not recognize her in disguise—
the faded scars like sunburn and moon
the asymmetrical bangs
the black wardrobe and encircled eyes
the pitch of her voice, low with coolness
& sweetened higher as she pipes thanks
—but at least she seems happy.
Ellen Huang does own a cape, it’s true. She holds a BA in Writing & a minor in Theatre from Point Loma Nazarene University. In her college career she’s been a skit director, a creative writing TA, and the Managing Editor for Whale Road Review. Right out of graduation she worked as a children’s tutor who was apparently “so good at voices” when reading. She now works as a scare actor at Origin Hip Hop, so she can actually relate to the scarers in Monsters, Inc. She has pieces published/forthcoming in Thimble Lit, Awkward Mermaid, Three Drops from a Cauldron, South Broadway Ghost Society, Bowery Gothic, Gingerbread House, Enchanted Conversation, Grimoire, The Poeming Pigeon, TL;DR Press, Apparition Lit, and others. She’s also burns wood and reenacts Disney/movie scenes on demand. Check it all out here: worrydollsandfloatinglights.wordpress.com, or follow her on Twitter: nocturnalxlight.