we were spoiled
for reality
by milk chocolate-coated fairy tales
force fed us
as girls
made to swallow
not spit
myths about beauty
love
sex
taught that only pretty, pretty princesses
could be awoken by
true love’s first kiss
impossible standards of beauty
femininity
made for
bitter cherry centers
that left us empty
starving
hollow
how old were we
when we learned
that mere mortal girls
like us
would never be beautiful enough
thin enough
kind enough
pure enough
to win Prince Charming’s gold enrobed heart?
we ate up the lessons
that with the right make-up
the right clothes
shoes
handbags
if we took enough quizzes
in Seventeen magazine
about how to be popular
how to catch his eye
contorted ourselves into pretzels
we might almost be enough
to be invited to dance at the ball
drink a brief taste of
the pink champagne dream
before the clock struck midnight
and we turned back
into pumpkins

© 2017 Revised 2019 Christine Elizabeth Ray – All Rights Reserved