After The Ball

John Hayes

Too late, sweet Cinderella raced
from the ball.
Saw carriage turn to mangled pumpkin
and perched on one glass slipper, wept.
Hobbling blindly back to loft and chores
she was bit by a vampire bat.
And the prince found
her glass slipper.

He searched vast lands
until at last he found
and kissed each fervent toe.
He wooed sweet Cinderella
betrothed her hand
spoke wedding vows.
Then gorged the food
swilled the wine
danced the night
romped and roared
drank somewhat more.
Finally, eyes puffy and red,
he said, "my love, let's go to bed."

Though her zealous body spread
his pride hung low
until inescapably she said,
"the problem, I fear, Prince Richard, my dear
your thing needs a torrent of blood."
She took it gently in her regal hand
(for now she was a princess)
flashed her ruby red tongue.
"Enjoy," she whiffed as she bared canines
"my love pierces far keener than thine."

John Hayes retired from writing procedure manuals several years ago. Now he acts and directs in Community Theater and writes a weekly column for two local newspapers. He was a corpse on Homicide. He has been published in Flesh and Blood, NFG, Cemetery Moon, Horror Carousel, BareBone, Modern Haiku, Writers Journal and other magazines. Five of his one-act plays have been produced.