The Glass Slipper and the Fly

"I don't want to be transparent,"
said the glass slipper to the fly.

"Honest, maybe. Not see-through."
And the fly in a tiny voice replied,

"Which fairy tale is it, exactly,
in which a glass slipper talks to a fly?"

"Look," said the slipper, "I like you,
okay? Stop fucking around.

I just don't want you to think
that you can sleep with me

just because I'm obvious about how I feel
or that there's not more to me

than meets the eye. There's a lot
you don't know, little fly."

And the fly stilled his wings
and seemed to ponder these things.

"I don't want to be transparent
either," he said, looking away.

"I'm embarrassed to talk about it.
I don't want to appear weak.

But listen, I like you a lot too.
I'm not trying to get you in the sack."

The slipper was wise to the ways
of the fly, who, like all other flies,

knew the right thing to say.
But she liked him anyway.