There was a girl who felt lost
And trapped at the same time.
She looked out from her tower window
At the birds moving across the skyline
And into the trees.
Is it a stereotype of a princess to
Be locked in a cage and look at the birds
And wish to fly like them?

There'd be days like these her momma said.
Not the ones she'd like,
Not the ones she'd choose,
Days that are dark and she'll live the tales.
Mary knew John would come at the dawn,
A little late or later but sure he would.
Waiting made her happy,
So she would send him merrily,
Like always,
a day late was normal,
a few days later was odd,
weeks together was scary.
but some days later he came,
he came breathless,
like the dead fishes, he'd always bring her from the sea.
There'd be days like these her momma said,
'When we wait to hug somebody and only cry!'

My princess forever,
My daughter,
To love and cherish ever and ever.
The twinkle in her eyes,
Boosts me with tenderness to sighs.
My little rose,
Loved by all wherever she goes.
Simple and pretty,
Full of fun and witty,
My little piece of music,
With her around life sings to me in lyrics.
Her smiles and hugs,
Are my drugs,
My pain and sorrow away they lug.
My sweet Angel,
My baby girl.
30/4/2019.

not my finest moment, but one worth examining -
I had a mullet and lived off of Haight st.
she didn't mind my mullet which,
at that time, was about all I could ask for.
we made out in the rain, copulated in bar bathrooms, lay in bed for hours laughing.
she was an explosion of life - a sunflower in the wind.
and beautiful.
(because how many ordinary princesses get poems?)
I thought I was prince charming.
turns out I was the stepmother,
the witch, the wolf.
I turned our bedroom -
where we love, lusted, and lived
- into a dungeon.
because it was the only place I wanted her.
to myself, pleasing me, craving me.
I did everything I could to keep her in that dungeon.
and her eyes glossed over, and she started to die.
I watched her starve.
then one day I unlocked the giant iron door,
swung it back,
and she was gone.
maybe rescued by a prince,
most likely grew wings and flew out on her own.
because I was the villain in my own fairy tale,
hers too.
and this one had a happy ending,
which means,
I lost.