I bristle
when I’m called “Princess.”
Sometimes the caller thinks I’m posh and particular,
demanding that others serve me.
Other times, “Princess” is intended to compliment.
But in the title I hear prices
I haven’t paid.
Snow White and Cinderella spent years
doing chores for their stepmothers.
Aurora’s fairy godmothers seemed
unable to manage housekeeping
while they posed as non-magical beings.
No doubt the future Sleeping Beauty did most of the work.
Fairytales aside,
in history,
a princess often wasn’t given a choice
about whether to accept her duties.
She’d see her husband,
perhaps for the first time,
on the wedding day,
and maybe — just barely --
the two would have a language
and customs in common.
Likely the groom was diseased,
either because of genetics
(His father was his mother’s uncle, too.)
or because he could have whomever
or whatever he wanted.
These days, a princess has the money and the staff,
but neither of these keep her from being pursued
by wolves ravenous for meaty bits
of information no one else has,
And the public, still wishing for fairytales,
looses the unrelenting pack.
on Her Royal Highness.
Protocol tells her what nail polish or jacket
she can wear, when she must stand
and when she must curtsy,
when she may speak,
and when she must be silent.
She must stand in for the monarch
and champion causes,
but her patronage cannot, in the slightest way,
look or sound like political advocacy.
Considering what’s required of a princess,
I’ll accept the responsibilities of citizenship
but not the burden of a tiara.
Author Bio:
Lisa Rutledge calls herself The “Wheelfaring” Writer because she’s a wayfarer in so many ways. However, the term “wayfarer” carries connotations of traveling on foot, and she writes about her travel experiences as a wheelchair user. She’s also a “wheelfarer” because she refuses to restrict herself to one territory within the writing world, and she appreciates that a single creative work offers journeys that evolve, depending on who’s writing, who’s reading, and when the trip happens. She’s a poet, a fiction writer, and blogger. Her writing is inspired by current events, spirituality, nature, and her perspectives on living with anxiety and cerebral palsy. She has published in The Legacy, Scarlet Leaf Review, Adelaide Literary Magazine, Writers in the Know and Ancient Paths. She is also a contributor to The Mighty. Lisa lives in the Texas Panhandle and teaches writing at West Texas A&M University. She’d love for you to meet her at her digital hangouts:
Website: LisaRutledgeauthor.com
Facebook profile: Facebook.com/LisaRutledgeauthor
Pinterest: Pinterest.com/LisaRutledgeauthor
Twitter handle:@lrutledgeauthor
when I’m called “Princess.”
Sometimes the caller thinks I’m posh and particular,
demanding that others serve me.
Other times, “Princess” is intended to compliment.
But in the title I hear prices
I haven’t paid.
Snow White and Cinderella spent years
doing chores for their stepmothers.
Aurora’s fairy godmothers seemed
unable to manage housekeeping
while they posed as non-magical beings.
No doubt the future Sleeping Beauty did most of the work.
Fairytales aside,
in history,
a princess often wasn’t given a choice
about whether to accept her duties.
She’d see her husband,
perhaps for the first time,
on the wedding day,
and maybe — just barely --
the two would have a language
and customs in common.
Likely the groom was diseased,
either because of genetics
(His father was his mother’s uncle, too.)
or because he could have whomever
or whatever he wanted.
These days, a princess has the money and the staff,
but neither of these keep her from being pursued
by wolves ravenous for meaty bits
of information no one else has,
And the public, still wishing for fairytales,
looses the unrelenting pack.
on Her Royal Highness.
Protocol tells her what nail polish or jacket
she can wear, when she must stand
and when she must curtsy,
when she may speak,
and when she must be silent.
She must stand in for the monarch
and champion causes,
but her patronage cannot, in the slightest way,
look or sound like political advocacy.
Considering what’s required of a princess,
I’ll accept the responsibilities of citizenship
but not the burden of a tiara.
Author Bio:
Lisa Rutledge calls herself The “Wheelfaring” Writer because she’s a wayfarer in so many ways. However, the term “wayfarer” carries connotations of traveling on foot, and she writes about her travel experiences as a wheelchair user. She’s also a “wheelfarer” because she refuses to restrict herself to one territory within the writing world, and she appreciates that a single creative work offers journeys that evolve, depending on who’s writing, who’s reading, and when the trip happens. She’s a poet, a fiction writer, and blogger. Her writing is inspired by current events, spirituality, nature, and her perspectives on living with anxiety and cerebral palsy. She has published in The Legacy, Scarlet Leaf Review, Adelaide Literary Magazine, Writers in the Know and Ancient Paths. She is also a contributor to The Mighty. Lisa lives in the Texas Panhandle and teaches writing at West Texas A&M University. She’d love for you to meet her at her digital hangouts:
Website: LisaRutledgeauthor.com
Facebook profile: Facebook.com/LisaRutledgeauthor
Pinterest: Pinterest.com/LisaRutledgeauthor
Twitter handle:@lrutledgeauthor
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