Saturday, April 3, 2010

2/30

((I was in the woods yesterday, a field trip for class credit, and unable to upload.))

What the Brothers Grimm neglected to include,
whether because they didn't notice or they were just
being kind, is that Cinderella's feet didn't
actually fit. A cruel joke on the part
of the old fairy godmother? An undersight? No
idea, but rather than pull some trick
like her sisters, and cut off a toe or a heel,
she sucked up her pride and squished
them on in there, keeping her wincing
all to herself. And then never took them off.
It became a source of pride, not just for her,
for her beloved prince as well. He'd invite
his friends over, ask her to show them, to dance,
to spin, to step prettily while they all stood
and admired, he loved the praise they'd receive.

And then the day he invited over
her old flame, just to show him, and she made
a misstep, and they shattered, and there she stood,
beautiful, a sight to see on broken glass,
rivers of blood running between the pieces,
tears streaming down her cheeks, she went
mad as a result, was locked in a tower,
and all she said for the rest
of her life was "They never fit.
They never fit."

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