Fairy Tales

She hops in the bed
Wearing her matching
Pink PJs
After a night of her favorites

Pizza
Ice Cream
Disney Movies

Giddy and giggly
she awaits
For her mother to walk in
So she can be tucked in

"Mom I'm ready!"
She says

A woman battered down
By her sleepless nights
And turmoil-filled days
Comes into the room
And is consumed
By the laughter of her child
She struggles
But she smiles
When she sits aside the edge
Of the bed

"Ok, what do you wanna hear tonight?
A short story?
A lullaby?
Or just 'good night'?"

The little lady's face
Turns straight
Thinking as if she was makin an executive decision
As if she's 25 years older
Than her age of 8

"Mommy," she states
"I know you're not married
But I want to know if
fairy tales are real"

What "mommy" feels
At this point
Is surreal
Unreal
Unexpected
This type of response wasn't detected in the radar

She doesn't want to sell her daughter
Broken dreams
Falsehood faiths
Lyrics of Lies
Ties to Trouble

So she doubles her breath
And says "sure sweetheart"
Omitting the details
The ugly parts

The part where the princess
Actually misses
out on "Prince Charming"

The part where the bad guy gets the girl

The part where women are the villain

The part where it doesn't work out

The part where the "Good Guy" gives his lady a black eye

The part where the king and queen shout their arguments out then never make up and have their own business to go about

The part where the hero is right in front of the damsel in distress's face but all she states is

"I'm not ready"

The part where nothing changes
Yet nothing is steady

The part where there is no glory

The part where she completely omits her own story

Mom knows somewhere down the line
She will hear in time
"This is what you told me
Why am I cold & lonely?"

But she's leaves that out the conversation
Because of the elation
In her daughters face
"I'm gonna have me a prince charming! I can't wait"

Mom turns out the light
Walks into her bedroom
Goes to the bathroom
And looks in the mirror
Her reflection looks serious

She dreads the effect
Of what she's just said
Rubs her face
Puts her hands on the side
Of her head
And says

"Why didn't you
Tell her the truth?
That fairy tales do
Come true
But not in real life
In reality
You don't realize who
Your happily ever after is
Until its gone on account
Of you"