sugar plums

when i was little, i wanted to be a dancer. i wanted a pink tutu, and ballet slippers. i wanted to twirl and be beautiful. i settled for a dingy white slip that had a little lace around the bottom. although i was a ragamuffin little girl, in my world i was a ballerina. my knotty hair was long and billowy in my mind, and enthusiasm made up for my lack of rhythm and grace.

one by one they came down the stairs. pink tutus and smiles wide, three little girls, practically perfect in every way. how beautiful they must have felt to have such special outfits, complete with personalized tops. these ballerinas reminded me of little claras from the nutcracker, off on an adventure to defeat the mouse king.