MUSIC BOX BALLERINAS

Most little girls
meet their first ballerina
in a musical jewellery box.
We've imported them from Hong Kong
for three generations now.
The boxes all play Swan Lake.
The ballerinas all pop up
on a tiny metal spring.
Plastic pink tutu and toe shoes
glitter in the triangle mirror backdrop.
Most little girls


at some point
want to become
the ballerina.
Most little girls
keep their music box
till long after they're not
little girls.
After a while,
the spring wears,
and the ballerina
dances sideways.
Eventually,
she doesn't dance at all.

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