Since I was a child my head was filled with stories of princes and princesses, knights and vast castles, kings and queens ruling over their lands. Five year old me was truly happiest, thinking that happy endings always existed in the world. I will say television and books really fed my impressionable little mind, but who wouldn’t want to believe that life can be like the fairy tales? It was a lovely period of ignorance that lets a child believe that there will always be a happily ever after.

Fast forward a bit and instead of my head being filled with stories, I “acted” in one. Seven years old and a story of my own filled with a damsel and her prince charming shown . Taking out my halloween costume, a bright, light pink dress and a crown embezzled with plastic diamonds to truly complete the look.  A one woman show just for me so I could be a princess too, just like in the stories. My young mind had no idea of the truth hidden behind words of true love and happy endings. Here I am now, no closer to being a princess than I was before.

In “Slow-Wave Sleep With a Fairy Tale”, published originally in the Tupelo Quarterly, by Erica Dawson she references the flaws in these stories. Through her angry approach undermining the apparent “simplicity” in these love stories specifically referencing “Little Briar Rose” from Grimm’s Fairy Tales. Dawson stated in her contributors’ notes that “as a child, [she] put [herself] in princess’ shoes”. She, just as I did, wanted to become the princess that “slept for a hundred years” and “woke to a prince”.   

When I first came across this poem I was expecting a peaceful read about the fairy tales I have come to love. I was completely wrong to say the least. The poem as a whole is a dream, the speaker punches both Sleeping Beauty and her prince and continues to ridicule them both and the story around them. She is placing herself in the story as the least magical being of reality. When reading 

People seem to want that fairy tale ending, the expectation of a “prince charming” to sweep them off their feet, carry them bridal style to get married and live happily ever after. What people do not realize is that said “prince charming” could drop their ass before the promised “happily ever after”. Love (and life in this matter) is a lot harder than people would care to admit.