sprig

 

it’s true, falling in love and falling asleep

can be so much alike—dreamy, like snowdrift

 

but remember, never stand alone

with no one at your six,

 

wide-eyed ‘neath the mythle-toe,

a frog’s tongue in your cheek,

 

freshly minted, masquerading

as a prince’s kiss

 

 

© 2026 jennifer wagner

 

dVerse q: myth

 

fun fact: mistletoe is poisonous

 

image above created by me using copilot

Old Photograph

 

Photo © Jennifer Wagner

 

It was the bloom of your soft cheeks,

flush with the enjoyment

of victory,

 

and your hands—those rosebud fists—

blossoming before our very eyes

to grasp the world,

 

and your smile, bursting bright,

a long-forgotten gift,

unearthed from the garden box

of remembering.

 

 

© 2026 Jennifer Wagner

 

dVerse Q: bloom