Beyond The Frame Poetry Competition
The Mistress
By: Clara Gillin
The mistress teases
Inviting with the Devil’s grin
Come forth from my frame
Welcome yourself with drinks from my inn
She dances and whistles
Her cold lips brush the glass
Once rosey, bluming, red
Now chipping and dark as ash
The wine spills onto her
A blank white dress now stained in more
Now there’s burgundy wine
To match the lipstick of a whore
Come out, come play
I hear
If you listen then one day
I edge near
I might break you from this cage
My head aches as I press against the glass, so clear
Cackling fills the dense air
A splotch of lightning ringing
And echoing through
The halls that no longer have singing
Come out, come play
If you listen, then one day
I’ll break you free from this cage
My hands are tied
My chest is roped
The chains surround me along with
All the shattered glass of my hope
Come out, come play
If you listen then one day
I’ll break you free from this cage
I look up
Try to ignore the noise
That’s when I realize
The Devil’s mistress, so usually poised
Has her mouth taped shut
She never uttered a word
So where, oh where
Has that sound emitted, so absurd?
And from there, I watch the pain
Travel from her eyes to mine
The mistress and I are one
Connected through the Devil’s divine
About the Poet
Clara Gillin is a rising artist, photographer and writer, as well as a highschooler balancing their time with school work, clubs, and her work at Stellar Wonderz (a youth-led nonprofit). They don’t shy away from challenges, starting multiple of their own clubs and managing top grades while exploring their interests. After winning a district-wide writing contest and getting published at their local library, she's submitted to many different artists’ outlets in hopes of being discovered and sharing her art with the world.
