Antidote

She jounces into the workroom

eager to encounter

the       challenges of the day.

Her greeting is melodious

                                           sincere

and patently

             irksome.

Some - less cemented – mumble deprecations

then crab away

                                         avoiding

contamination.

Many of the old shell backs starkly stare.                  

Their calcified poses recall The Dark Crystal*.

Eyebrows though hunkered seem faintly stirred.

They acknowledge a breeze, a gust, a current -

No!

Just a draft. 

She

remains undaunted.

Her radiant grin celebrates the morning.

Emerald eyes see nothing but potential.

Hair Latin-dark and voluminous swirls

a Medusa-antidote.

      She collects notices

greets colleagues

                makes preparation.

"Give her a year or two," they mutter darkly

"Then we’ll see."

 "Won’t we?"

*

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dark_Crystal

Accompanying Image of brunette: 2012TreefortBrunette.jpg by Christina Birkinbine [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons