Ofelia and Ophelia

Her spirit, a fairy flickering insect itch
inside of her
dead on the floor button-down
and bloody frock.
She was a chrysalis crushed in his
unassuming bite
a sacrifice to Pan’s
delightful fingers for a boy
a brother’s body.
The namesake of another
Ophelia, who
drowned herself to teach us, what
exactly?
Lower her body so that the men
can kill each other over fathers or
her lack
of breaths
a plot device, pining.
I imagine the older Ophelia tut-tuts
floating on that cloudy gospel cherub perch
another senseless death for
that boy—brother—lover
he will only live to start another war
but
isn’t it beautiful?

Artwork by Kelia Anne Maccluskey