Barbara is better at fairy tales than I am. I’ll admit it. She knows them inside and out, she knows how to turn them on their heads/ears/hands/feet, and she got a Pushcart nomination for one of them, so you know she has the chops. So, when she did a prompt at We Write Poems to take yourself, change some qualities (smarter? faster? nobler?), and stick yourself in a well-known story, I ended up going down that Grimm road, and instantly feeling inadequate. But I figured I’d share it anyway.
Prince Charming
You’d think, between the mountaintop redoubt,
stockpiles of gold, and chiseled noble jaw,
he’d have it all. He goes round his domain
with crystal footwear, looking for his bride
(who’s got this kind of time?) among the folk
that starve and scrape the ground for roots to eat.
He finds her, plans the nuptial feast himself,
writes invitations, picks tuxedoes out.
The King takes him aside, tells him, you have
your Royal Duties. Piece of (three-tiered) cake.
But when the guests have gone, and they’re in bed
(her skin still wondering at the feel of silk)–
he doesn’t know what he should do. She tries
a trick or two. When nothing works, she thinks,
you know, he dresses well, a bit too well,
flares out the hiss in Princceee: but neither one
admits to knowing. Soon the sunrise comes.
They lie awake, good fortune cold between them.
Oh so sad. :-( well written, though.
wooww!! so beautifully sad..
I like this. This reminds me of how one hides one’s own true nature from oneself. Should Prince Charming have been looking for a groom instead? Times change, and we pray for doors to be pried open.
-Nicole
My dad was one for ‘fractured fairy tales’. I like your post! Thanks -
You’re a prince!
A spanner in the works!
(who’s got this kind of time?) ..(three-tiered) like that. This is a superb write!
This made me laugh, and yet – it’s a bit sad too. Guess there really is a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow?
viv: I was thinking more awkward than sad, but either way :)
abi: I didn’t mean to sadden anyone…!
Nicole: Prince Charming should have been. I thought about including a line with hoping for wicked stepbrothers instead, but it just didn’t work with the meter and all.
Jules: I try my best. Thanks!
Irene: glad you enjoyed it ^_^
marey: that’s what I keep telling myself. Jury’s still out, though.
Its a good kind of sadness.. :-D
Joseph, you’ve captured the relationship that is mainly done for show. It is in fact much more awkward than sad. Well written piece.
Pamela
Joseph, it does make you wonder what the birds and bees talk was like for the fairy tale set. You give it just the right amount of reality.
Richard
Your story does singly what the play “Into the Woods” does by combining three fairy tales – I believe the tale of Prince Charming is just one of the threeTimes back then were just a tad like “Fiddler on the Roof” where arranged marriages sometimes did have happy endings – In Fiddler is the song; ‘Do You Love Me’ with the lines… after 25 years do you love me? after 25 years I’ve done this and that and basically have grown to love you… and …after 25 years it is nice to know that you do love me… just a tad paraphraised. Reality was only something hinted at in Fairy tales…As they say truth can be stranger than fiction.
I’ll be keeping a look out for more of your writing at ‘The River’ – Thanks.