Prince Charming - original (date unknown, poem, finished)
A rather long, free verse poem. Based on the idea of Prince Charming, slightly twisted. Het, slash, and femmeslash warnings (just mentions of relationships, hints to sex)
i
He was born a prince, with the heritage
Drummed into his head.
Prince charming of the modern era
Was what his future title would be
(even if he didn’t want
such a title, or the burden that
came with along with such a thing.)
But it was his, and the lessons that every
Prince charming needed to know
Drilled into him, day after day
ii
Learning his lessons well, he fought his demons
(the foes he faced in the schoolyard,
the struggle to learn fractions and cursive;
later, the algebraic equations and proper way
to form a thesis statement)
He grew polished and charming
(with yes madam’s and pleases
and most importantly, thank you’s,
that stood him well in the world)
Well trained and in good health
(years of sports teams,
to please his parents, and
college admissions)
He grew into a regular prince charming
The power of his world at his fingertips.
iii
And he knew how the stories went -
Every prince charming had
A maiden fair, destined to be rescued
By him, and his noble company,
(and of course, fair maiden would marry him,
and he and the maiden, no longer so,
would raise their offspring, destined
to follow in footsteps so similar)
He knew when he met such a maiden,
Except there was something wrong -
Not quite as beautiful and fair this maiden was
(hair nothing to talk about,
not golden as the sun or dark as the ravens wing;
eyes neither as blue as the sky or
shining as the stars)
But she was still lovely,
And he thought he loved her.
He knew he could, deep down.
It was there, he told himself.
iv
He and fair maiden were happy,
During the days of their teenage years,
But his heart grew heavy, he knew
What would approach
(graduation and summer and college
and the real world and work and life
and after that, marriage and work and
children and life.)
He would have to rescues his maiden fair
From the harshness of her world,
Mayhap a dragon or wizard, keeping
Fair creature locked away
(real life and college and hard work
and other men, perhaps, tempting her,
and other temptations, that could lead her
into such trouble).
But as he searched his heart, he found
A surprising thing
He didn’t want to save maiden fair
But be rescued himself.
v
He discovered his savior, his own
Prince charming
In the arms he least expected
As his fair maiden cast a wandering eye
Upon a dainty figure standing not too far,
He too chanced a look,
At the figure his maiden had overlooked.
And he discovered another prince charming,
Trapped in the same position he was himself
(saving maidens from evils,
when honestly, they had no desire to,
wishing to find their own paths
and not follow in the footsteps
of the kings of the land)
And although he was still hunting for the part
That loved the maiden fair,
It was easy to fall in love with this other.
vi
This was not a normal prince charming
Hardly handsome, in the sense of fashion,
But beautiful, in his own way. Dark, the night
To the prince’s daylight.
And how the prince loved him
(even though he knew the stories did not
work this way, and his friends gave him
such a hard time for hanging with
someone not of their kind. Maybe, he mused, like
the stories of fey falling for human. It would fit,
his love was like a fairy, although a dark one)
So much he even forgot about his fair maiden
(who did not mind, entranced likewise
by a princess, who had a beauty as lovely
as the legends spoke of).
When time came for the ritual ball,
(prom)
Prince charming reluctantly remembered
Fair maiden he’d promised to escort,
Though neither wished for it.
vii
The couple split as soon as they entered the doors,
And danced the night away in the arms of the others
(discreetly, neither could cause a scene,
this they remembered in the back of their minds)
Forgetting their other duties and promises.
All prince charming could see was the beauty
Of the boy he smiled so warmly at
(and who’s name he was screaming,
later that night, in a back alleyway;
it did not matter that he was the one who should have been
on his knees; nor did it matter that shortly,
he would be, in the same position as this boy,
making his love scream his name);
He wanted that magical night to never end.
viii
Summer soon came and grew into languid days
Prince charming was on his last break
From real life, where he’d have to
Rescue maiden fair
(although he had no desire to ever rescue her,
women where not of his taste.
let her own lover do that, he thought bitterly,
one lazy day).
But his pretty fey boyfriend said
Words he’d wanted to hear for so long
(“I love you”)
All plans of rescuing maiden
Escaped from his mind
And the lazy days of summer continued
Leaving inside him a contentment
That only could come from such love
(and pleasure from the pretty, pretty mouth
of his boy-love).
Laughter and smiles were bestowed
Upon on the family who’d rarely seen such sights
From the serious face of the prince charming.
ix
Like all good things, the lazy days
Were soon forced to an end
(he had to leave soon, college life awaited him,
where he would continue in the same path,
with plans to save the world in the medical front,
and intents to do all those things prince charming’s
did oh so well).
He could no longer deny that he had to
Rescue maiden fair, like all prince charming’s were expected,
Try as he might, no knowledge of rescuing pretty fairy boys
Came to his mind.
Following in the footsteps left for him,
He ignored the whispered “I love you” of his love,
And the cries of fair maiden,
Begging, begging for one more minute
With her own lover fair.
x
The pretty fairy boy he’d come to love
Watched with wounded eyes, and told him
You can rewrite your fairytale,
Change the footsteps you follow
(this was said with soft caresses to parts
only he knew)
But the prince shook his head,
Already too tired of fighting his heart.
I am but one, there is no point.
Follow in the footsteps I know,
It’s the easiest path left for me.
And the eyes of his love looked at him
One last time, brimming with tears.
This would be the last time he’d ever see
Such beauty anywhere in his life,
Or be the recipient of such love
(his nights with fair maiden would be cold
neither had any true desire for the other;
it would be seen as merely a duty).
And this fey creature’s words reached his ears
Take the easy path, then.
But expect no happily ever after.
i
He was born a prince, with the heritage
Drummed into his head.
Prince charming of the modern era
Was what his future title would be
(even if he didn’t want
such a title, or the burden that
came with along with such a thing.)
But it was his, and the lessons that every
Prince charming needed to know
Drilled into him, day after day
ii
Learning his lessons well, he fought his demons
(the foes he faced in the schoolyard,
the struggle to learn fractions and cursive;
later, the algebraic equations and proper way
to form a thesis statement)
He grew polished and charming
(with yes madam’s and pleases
and most importantly, thank you’s,
that stood him well in the world)
Well trained and in good health
(years of sports teams,
to please his parents, and
college admissions)
He grew into a regular prince charming
The power of his world at his fingertips.
iii
And he knew how the stories went -
Every prince charming had
A maiden fair, destined to be rescued
By him, and his noble company,
(and of course, fair maiden would marry him,
and he and the maiden, no longer so,
would raise their offspring, destined
to follow in footsteps so similar)
He knew when he met such a maiden,
Except there was something wrong -
Not quite as beautiful and fair this maiden was
(hair nothing to talk about,
not golden as the sun or dark as the ravens wing;
eyes neither as blue as the sky or
shining as the stars)
But she was still lovely,
And he thought he loved her.
He knew he could, deep down.
It was there, he told himself.
iv
He and fair maiden were happy,
During the days of their teenage years,
But his heart grew heavy, he knew
What would approach
(graduation and summer and college
and the real world and work and life
and after that, marriage and work and
children and life.)
He would have to rescues his maiden fair
From the harshness of her world,
Mayhap a dragon or wizard, keeping
Fair creature locked away
(real life and college and hard work
and other men, perhaps, tempting her,
and other temptations, that could lead her
into such trouble).
But as he searched his heart, he found
A surprising thing
He didn’t want to save maiden fair
But be rescued himself.
v
He discovered his savior, his own
Prince charming
In the arms he least expected
As his fair maiden cast a wandering eye
Upon a dainty figure standing not too far,
He too chanced a look,
At the figure his maiden had overlooked.
And he discovered another prince charming,
Trapped in the same position he was himself
(saving maidens from evils,
when honestly, they had no desire to,
wishing to find their own paths
and not follow in the footsteps
of the kings of the land)
And although he was still hunting for the part
That loved the maiden fair,
It was easy to fall in love with this other.
vi
This was not a normal prince charming
Hardly handsome, in the sense of fashion,
But beautiful, in his own way. Dark, the night
To the prince’s daylight.
And how the prince loved him
(even though he knew the stories did not
work this way, and his friends gave him
such a hard time for hanging with
someone not of their kind. Maybe, he mused, like
the stories of fey falling for human. It would fit,
his love was like a fairy, although a dark one)
So much he even forgot about his fair maiden
(who did not mind, entranced likewise
by a princess, who had a beauty as lovely
as the legends spoke of).
When time came for the ritual ball,
(prom)
Prince charming reluctantly remembered
Fair maiden he’d promised to escort,
Though neither wished for it.
vii
The couple split as soon as they entered the doors,
And danced the night away in the arms of the others
(discreetly, neither could cause a scene,
this they remembered in the back of their minds)
Forgetting their other duties and promises.
All prince charming could see was the beauty
Of the boy he smiled so warmly at
(and who’s name he was screaming,
later that night, in a back alleyway;
it did not matter that he was the one who should have been
on his knees; nor did it matter that shortly,
he would be, in the same position as this boy,
making his love scream his name);
He wanted that magical night to never end.
viii
Summer soon came and grew into languid days
Prince charming was on his last break
From real life, where he’d have to
Rescue maiden fair
(although he had no desire to ever rescue her,
women where not of his taste.
let her own lover do that, he thought bitterly,
one lazy day).
But his pretty fey boyfriend said
Words he’d wanted to hear for so long
(“I love you”)
All plans of rescuing maiden
Escaped from his mind
And the lazy days of summer continued
Leaving inside him a contentment
That only could come from such love
(and pleasure from the pretty, pretty mouth
of his boy-love).
Laughter and smiles were bestowed
Upon on the family who’d rarely seen such sights
From the serious face of the prince charming.
ix
Like all good things, the lazy days
Were soon forced to an end
(he had to leave soon, college life awaited him,
where he would continue in the same path,
with plans to save the world in the medical front,
and intents to do all those things prince charming’s
did oh so well).
He could no longer deny that he had to
Rescue maiden fair, like all prince charming’s were expected,
Try as he might, no knowledge of rescuing pretty fairy boys
Came to his mind.
Following in the footsteps left for him,
He ignored the whispered “I love you” of his love,
And the cries of fair maiden,
Begging, begging for one more minute
With her own lover fair.
x
The pretty fairy boy he’d come to love
Watched with wounded eyes, and told him
You can rewrite your fairytale,
Change the footsteps you follow
(this was said with soft caresses to parts
only he knew)
But the prince shook his head,
Already too tired of fighting his heart.
I am but one, there is no point.
Follow in the footsteps I know,
It’s the easiest path left for me.
And the eyes of his love looked at him
One last time, brimming with tears.
This would be the last time he’d ever see
Such beauty anywhere in his life,
Or be the recipient of such love
(his nights with fair maiden would be cold
neither had any true desire for the other;
it would be seen as merely a duty).
And this fey creature’s words reached his ears
Take the easy path, then.
But expect no happily ever after.