Deconstruction fun with “There was once”

Margaret Atwood’s poetry and fiction are among the best.  My first encounter was The Robber Bride,  followed by The Handmaid’ Tale, Alias Grace, The Blind Assassin, and Oryx and Crake in that order, I think. Most of these were published in the ‘9o’s. They are not “light” reads. Atwood’s worldview sometimes conflicts with mine, but she is insightful and tells her captivating stories with masterful style. 

She’s often satirical as in the terse “You fit into me:”

You fit into me
like a hook into an eye
A fish hook
An open eye

I like her penchant for the unexpected, the unconventional, the twist. Her ear for speech is superb. And in this dialogue poem — “There was once” —  she’s at her best. She employs the humble fairy tale to satirize political correctness and more. It’s not public domain, but I’ve linked to the Mississippi Review’s online copy, right after the “Bad News” short. Read it in the characters’ voice, and I promise it will be worth the extra click.

(I’ve posted on her “Siren Song.”)