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Fair-skinned, beautiful, and kind

She sings, birds listen, and fly to her hand

The World fights against her, and she smiles still.

This is the Fairy-tale Princess,

          Selfless

                  Graceful

                          Innocent

 

 

Bullfrog.

(Who could bring herself to kiss such an ugly thing, anyways?)

 

 

If she were human, she would feel resentful

         At the Stepmother,

                  the Witch,

                          the unobservant father

And maybe even her helpless so-called friends-

         The reluctant woodsman-executioner

                  The hapless dwarves

                          The bumbling Fairy Godmothers,

                          (who mean well but only do so much)

 

 

If she were human, she might have pimples

         Her skin might be any shade of yellow or brown

                   One eye might be higher than the other

And her voice could be deep as a man’s

 

She could have well-built muscles

Be strong instead of weak.

She could fight the evil dragon herself, if she chose-

And she might not be so easy to put under a spell.

 

 

If that Fairy-tale Princess were human

She might be me. Full of human feelings

         Anguish

                  Fear

                         Anxiety

Or she might be you-

 

 

You there, Snow White, yes, you,

          With the upturned, narrow eyes

                   and sallow complexion

And you, Sleeping Beauty,

          with your bed-coiffed hair black and frizzly

                    and your breath like last night’s dinner

And you, you poor, overworked Cinderella

          Middle-aged, line-faced

          Still dressed in second-hand rags

                   And with a child or two in tow

You, yes, you

 

 

You are a real Princess.