Jacks and Toms

by Ruby Sara



 it is a fallacy that all witches are women 

yes, they are earth and silt-savage, and
their ice-shock eyes are proof against curses,
but you must be careful — they know
things — they've planted henbane
in their wild gardens, sowing the sweet
harebell, and whistling for their love

him, in that wide-brimmed hat, the man who
manipulates the hayfork with a cat's grace,
may be one — they are difficult to sniff out,
with their dark, transparent smell:
cave's water and bay smoke
or the very elusive musk of the
wolf spider



Ruby Sara has been and sometimes is a storyteller, a poet, and a theologian. She is the editor of two anthologies of esoteric poetry published by Scarlet Imprint, as well as a regular columnist and blogger for Witches and Pagans magazine. Her poetry has appeared most recently in Eternal Haunted Summer and Goblin Fruit. Ruby lives in Austin, Texas with her intrepid spouse and their demon-monkey-cat, Pinky.

And when it comes to cherries and poetry, Pablo Neruda will always be first and foremost in her thoughts, with that most breathless and swoon-worthy of phrases... I want to do with you what spring does with the cherry trees.

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