ALL THE ALTERNATE ANNES
Poetry
by
Lisa Timpf
by
Lisa Timpf
what if the penning of a book
sparks the spinoff of
dozens of alternate worlds,
shadowlands where characters
live out different lives
in the alternate lands
of Montgomery’s book,
perhaps, sometimes, Anne
is sent to live with Mrs. Blewett
and Marilla’s harsh edges
never do soften
maybe sometimes
Anne is Andy
the boy Matthew
thought he wanted,
an asset on the farm
though the two of them, later,
butt heads about the merits
of modernization
one argument so vigorous
Matthew winds up
having a heart attack
maybe sometimes Andy is
a different kind of friend
to Diana, though he spares
not a thought
for the Haunted Woods
perhaps now and then
he breaks Gilbert’s nose
with a strong right hook
(some would say Gil had it coming),
over a girl, or
on account of Gilbert’s insistence
on calling him “Shirley”
yet in all of these worlds
certain elements might
remain consistent--
the gables being green,
the hair being red,
and the currant wine
getting consumed,
sometimes by accident
and sometimes not
sparks the spinoff of
dozens of alternate worlds,
shadowlands where characters
live out different lives
in the alternate lands
of Montgomery’s book,
perhaps, sometimes, Anne
is sent to live with Mrs. Blewett
and Marilla’s harsh edges
never do soften
maybe sometimes
Anne is Andy
the boy Matthew
thought he wanted,
an asset on the farm
though the two of them, later,
butt heads about the merits
of modernization
one argument so vigorous
Matthew winds up
having a heart attack
maybe sometimes Andy is
a different kind of friend
to Diana, though he spares
not a thought
for the Haunted Woods
perhaps now and then
he breaks Gilbert’s nose
with a strong right hook
(some would say Gil had it coming),
over a girl, or
on account of Gilbert’s insistence
on calling him “Shirley”
yet in all of these worlds
certain elements might
remain consistent--
the gables being green,
the hair being red,
and the currant wine
getting consumed,
sometimes by accident
and sometimes not
Lisa Timpf is a retired HR and communications professional who lives in Simcoe, Ontario. Her poetry has been published in a variety of venues, including Good Times, Star*Line, and Eye to the Telescope. Lisa has counted visits to the Anne of Green Gables house, and a viewing of the play Anne of Green Gables in Charlottetown, PEI, as highlights of past visits to Canada's East Coast.
Author's statement: When I was younger, I enjoyed the Anne of Green Gables stories in part because they portrayed a strong-minded, independent female lead character. Montgomery’s stories always felt very authentic, as though she really understood how the characters might feel and act. The Anne stories sparked an interest in Prince Edward Island, which I’ve visited a number of times.