Once Upon a Time

Once Upon

Once

 

Not once, but many times,

there is a girl.

 

A girl

with beauty,

grace,

kindness.

 

A Princess.

 

She is sought by many,

is kind to all,

and lives a peaceful life.

 

Then, the Knight arrives.

 

She sees him,

armoured,

strong,

brave.

 

She believes it is love.

 

She calls him her Prince.

 

This is not The End.

 

One day,

the Knight removes

his helmet,

his mask.

 

He is not a Prince,

Not even a Knight.

 

She thinks she was wrong.

A trick of the light, she thinks.

Nothing to worry about.

 

But she keeps seeing it.

The dark scales,

horns,

Sharp teeth.

 

A Dragon.

 

He winds his way around her tightly,

Keeping her from the world.

 

She cannot breathe.

 

She is trapped.

 

This is not The End.

 

The Princess doesn’t give in.

 

If she is a damsel,

even in distress,

she will fight.

 

She sees a crack

in the armoured scales.

 

She slides through,

quiet,

swift,

triumphant.

 

The Dragon lashes out,

but misses.

The princess ignores his angry roar.

 

She is free.

 

She escapes.

 

She is strong enough to see the Dragons,

to fight them,

to save others.

 

This is not her end.