The Fable of the Pack-Saddle Child

Fable of the Pack-Saddle Child shattered my heart in all the right ways. The story follows a young girl named Micaela who seeks refuge in language after undergoing brutal molestation. Assaulted by a man her mother brought frequently into their home, Micaela struggles to manage the emotional pain and retreats into her own mind. She becomes fascinated by the distinction a single mark can make in language. Mia Leonin’s poem conquers challenging themes with immense courage. Fable lays bare the underbelly of family dynamics and raises questions regarding the Sins of the Father.

This poem easily earns five out of five stars from me. Not only that, but I’d give Leonin’s work six out of five stars if I could. I think Fable is an unquestionably necessary piece of literature. Micaela’s intoxication with language and subsequent redemption moved me to tears. I was reminded of the incomparable beauty of a child’s mind as well as of the marvelous ability of humans to transcend the worst moments in life in order to find meaning. Micaela sifts through those inexplicably cruel occurrences (maltreatment of the innocent, exploitation of trust, and brutality for the sake of brutality, to name a few) that we as humans have come to know so well and finds something to prosper for.