(c) JoAnne Tucker

Bio: Tolu Ogunlesi is a Nigerian journalist, poet, photographer, fiction writer, and blogger. Ogunlesi was appointed to the role of special assistant on digital/new media by President Muhammadu Buhari on 18 February 2016.

Ariadne, Slipping : An Ode

To princesses whose crowns 
constellate.

To Iustitia, sans scale 
or blindfold.

To all the women 
who make others famous.

To nymphs who stay awake
to blur lines

To witches who give
porridge to peasant girls.

To mothers who forget 
the magic words.

To family trees full
of marbled matriarchs.

To choose between food
and freedom. 

To be painted—
instead of sculpted.

To pose is to live
forever. 

To lose balance is to learn 
how not to find it.