I watch her dance and almost forget to 
hold my pose because she is so delicate;
throw rose, let go, my beautiful queen
of the snow.

I ask her what it’s like on the snow cap. Like pup
I perk my ears and tilt my head, thinking
go on my dear, a story before bed.

A choir sings quietly and tall grasses waltz in the breeze, 
a car horn brings me out of a daydream.
I’m in a theatre sitting in the wrong seat 
when I spy a wink from stage left,
her laughter orphans and I think 
about peripheral vision.

Her piano leads to intricate underwater 
worlds where it is hard to breathe, one small note, G-flat, D. 
We put on our lipstick and watch the show 
where feet shuffle backstage and run into snowy basements. 
No one is safe from the Mouse King! 

Our heads tilt, identical. Dogs learn different tricks, 
little sisters wear hand-me-down smiles and try to sing to what they cannot fix.