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Thousands of fairy tales,
The princess always prevails.
But where is your Prince Charming;
Did he find saving you that alarming?
Some prince, all right.
He could fix your life.
Or Fairy Godmother,
Helped Cinderella succeed her mother.
To her, you appear as a waste of time.
Is being happy such a crime?
Magic is something you don’t own,
Too bad you can’t take a bit of it home.
Maleficent, sadly, lives next door,
Evil, vicious, and so much more.
She always uses our WiFi,
And has a habit of making children cry.
Jafar, the misfit,
He could use a new magic carpet.
He works at the gas station,
No wonder it’s so expensive.
You can’t breathe underwater,
And casting spells is much harder.
Or thrust your foot through a floor,
And replace it with one of pure gold.
Oh, the things you would do
To slay a dragon, too.
Thrown more pennies than you can tell,
Down countless wishing wells.
Fairytales may entertain,
But all of them make one mistake.
Who says you must be saved by a man,
Or slay evil to get your true love’s hand.
Not everything must be brand new,
Kissing frogs aren’t the glue.
That holds together all the pieces
That makes you a true prince, princess, or heroic person.
So next time you speak the tale of Mulan,
Or tell of Hercules’ journey as a god,
Remember that your story may not be magic,
And you haven’t lived a life that dramatic.
Snow White could’ve declined that stranger,
Not all princesses have the best behavior.
You may be smart, old, wise, or tall,
But normal people like us have the best story of all.
Because we don’t need a shining knight,
Unlike Rapunzel, we get to live our life.
Ordinary girls can save themselves,
Average guys don’t have to reach the top shelf.
Because we can change history,
And we don’t need wizards to tell us who to be.
About The Author
Bethania d. is a high schooler from California. She likes to write poetry + film analyses in her free time and also has a passion for climate change along with being a graphic designer for many groups. you can view her work on Instagram, @nonotbethany. She is a percussionist and member of her school's bands, orchestras, and drumline!
Cover page by Francine Gado
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