grooms that will never come

it's house full of dolls.
eight hundred
and thirty seven to be exact,
the round
short woman says with a lipsticked
smile.
then she begins
to tell the story of the dolls.
where and when
they were bought or
bargained for.
heartless and wide eyed
they stare with a muted gleam,
made of porcelain
and silk,
each in a dress
or costume. all girls.
some stand, some sit, some are
on the dining room table
in wedding dresses,
pointed to the door,
awaiting grooms
that will never come.