anything but charming

by Allister Nelson

Don’t you know that poets lie?

Princes don’t become beasts

your true love kiss won’t

save him, won’t protect you

from sword-blunt bruises.

When he comes at night as a bear

have your candle lit, wick burning

cast shadows on shadows and drip

hot wax on fur, no golden skin beneath

all you will find is a wild animal.

When the lindworm takes you as bride

don’t wash away skins of stories

don’t rub lye onto lying scales

instead, take his dripping poison

and bottle it to prove he is mad.

When love is death and death is only

absolution, choose to fight, not sing

the masked phantom is skull beneath

porcelain, Bluebeard will not give you

the keys to his heart and dead wives.

All beasts do is wait for sly maidens

who think they can save man from monster

but while you were solving his riddle,

a hundred died before you, a thousand

more to come, dancing in Kashchei’s

shadow, trapped princesses all

waiting on a Firebird

that would curse.

And burn.

And fly

far.

Click here to read Allister’s bio.