he used to say to me

“rapunzel rapunzel let down your long hair”

and i always did

but now years later

i find myself touching the brunt ends of my shorn hair

and letting my fingertips wander over the scar on my neck

from the scissors that were meant to trap me inside of a tower

and i still mourn the fact that they were held

by a boy who was my witch and first friend

who wanted to keep me safe from the world

the only way he knew how

~ those scissors freed me more than my “prince charming” ever did

Sometimes people don’t reconize,

A queen when they see one,

And so you doubt what you are,

And feel worthly of their shun.

Tame

There was never going to be a knight for me,

Because they would always try to slay the dragon,

That was living inside my skin.

 

They wanted a tame princess,

Who waited patiently in their tower,

And didn’t tear at the gray stone,

Until her fingernails and knuckles bled.

 

If you want a princess you don’t want me,

Because I don’t want a knight,

To a slay my dragon,

And make me tame.

 

I am the queen, the most powerful piece on the board,

And watch out,

Because this is my game,

And I know how to play it

Broken girls,

Turn into warriors,

Bent girls,

Turn into a princess,

But I turned into a queen,

So what was I?

I’ve heard that being heartbroken, is a form of breaking, bending, twisting, and snuffing out joy…………………becoming a queen is never easy, because I had to become a warrior, and a princess first.

1

I think it is amazing how,

I was barely anything before you,

But as soon as I had you,

I was considered everything.

 

Why did you equal my worth,

And more importantly:

Why did I let you?

 

I was never a princess until I had you,

And that is the sad truth,

Of how I was seen,

By everyone who didn’t believe I was capable,

Of doing anything without you.

 

I was nothing until you made me a princess,

Even when I was born into the title.

 

You know that you are a queen,

When people still concider you one,

Even when you only wear,

A crown of daisies.

You came out of nowhere,

Like a sucker punch.

 

There was no time,

To expect you,

Or build up stone walls.

 

All I could do,

Was hide inside flimsy barriers,

As my castle was under siege.

 

There was nothing to hope for,

After a time,

And it seemed that you had won.

 

But,

Sometimes in the worst times,

You find strength in the strangest places.

 

And as I held my sword,

I knew that you were a punch,

And I blow.

 

And I wasn’t surprised,

By you anymore.

 

Here we are,

The warriors that fought the battles,

And won the war.

 

The very same,

Who wielded hammers,

To build that palace,

By the lake.

 

Don’t deny us entrance,

To a place we built from dust,

And dreams.

 

We are the warriors,

And you are the queens.

Words

You never acted like,

Your words were hurtful,

But boy,

They were.

 

Every conversation was battle,

And I don’t know if I can survive,

This war.

 

I have bruises on my knuckles,

From all the times I tried to fight back,

Until at last I was left mentally punching walls,

As I crumbled inside.

 

When I was little I was always told,

Violence is not an answer,

And your kind of violence,

Had never been seen before.

 

You tore me down,

You built me up,

You cut me apart,

And you stitched me back together.

 

 

 

And after a time,

I felt less and less like myself,

And more like a clone,

Of your own devising.

 

If this is love,

Why does it hurt so much?

 

I wish I could say,

I only need time to heal,

But the truth is,

I will always have scars.

 

You acted like your words,

Were not hurtful,

And did not do worse,

To my mental,

And emotional self,

Then your fists ever could.

 

There is no shame is surrendering,

And leaving the field,

As long you know,

You don’t believe,

In the cause you are fighting for.

 

And boy,

I gave up on us,

A long time ago.

 

 

You asked me,

If I was looking for a knight,

As if,

Wearing a crown,

Equals you need one.

Well,

I don’t,

I won’t,

And I will never need,

A knight,

As long as I own a sword,

And have the strength,

To lift it.

He tried to play it cool,

And asked the same,

Of me,

But boy,

If you wanted an ice queen,

Why choose one made of fire?

I could never,

Fit into your world,

And you never,

In mine,

 

 

He said to be cool,

And to play off the insults,

And I guess I got tired,

Of waiting for him,

To be a prince,

When I had a crown,

And a sword.

I called myself  a princess,

And you never could understand,

Because I was so different,

From all the others,

Because I wielded,

A sword instead of a needle,

And I fought,

My own dragons,

And in the end,

You never could handle me,

Because you wanted someone,

That I was not,

Because I am not,

The person you picture,

When you hear,

The word princess.

Rapunzel

She had to let go,

Of the idea,

That she could,

Be like them,

Because that,

Was building her a tower,

In her mind,

And trapping her,

Under a thatch roof,

Away from starry night skies,

And the truth,

That she was born,

To rule,

And wear her crown,

Like a queen,

And smile,

Like a blade,

Instead of waiting,

For a prince,

To rescue her,

When she had the tools,

To do it all along.

Warrior

You didn’t think I was dangerous,

Left only with,

The wilted flowers,

You once gave me,

As proof of your love,

And a heart,

That was determined,

Not to break.

But,

Then again,

You never thought much of me,

At all.

So no wonder,

I came back,

With a bow,

Made from all the broken promises,

You never kept,

And arrows,

Made from the flowers,

Wilted in all the vases,

That you left,

Because I guess,

I was tired of being,

A princess,

When I could be,

A warrior,

And save myself.

Queen

You were elegance,

In a form I didn’t even know existed,

You came through the battle,

And won the war.

Don’t let the men,

Take your crown,

Because they don’t believe,

You can do it.

There is only one thing,

You can do:

Rule.