Afterall

Ugly?! Me?!?

Honey, I’m one of the finest things you’ve ever seen

I may not be the fairest of all, or go leaving my shoes at  royal balls-

I am many things dear, but not all that mean

I am the step sista, never the one to get the mista

But somehow I get all the grief because somehow it became popular belief that I’m as mean as a pit and just as hard to look at

So let me end the misconception with some simple fact

Back in the day they used to say

That a woman’s only way, up was through marriage

Our only aspiration to ride off with Charming in his carriage

Into happily ever after . . . I mean after all, what else was there?

Where, else did women have a place in this world that wasn’t at home or on some man’s arm?

Now don’t get me wrong there is no harm

In love and marriage and the keeping of a home

Afterall, no one wants to die alone

These seeds of resentment that my mother had sown when she saw the boys talking to Cindy before me and my sista

So she sent away all them mistas with a screech and a scream and a swing of her broomstick

It was around this time she started to get real quick, to hit, Cindy

The child she vowed to love to her dying husband

But I guess the promise died with with him

For then my mother’s heart birthed something very grimm

Me and sista became royalty in training and to prevent her from becoming our rival . . .

Little sista Cindy became our practice servant

She cried . . .every single night, I could always hear her

And every night I’d long to be near her if only to catch one tear but my fear was that  no one was listening but me and the wall between us

But then I guess God happened to overhear

For the night before the ball an angel appeared

“Sista dear” said she, “ little Cindy needs you”

I fell to my knees crying “What can I do?”

“Your mother and the other, busy they need be. Get them out early to make way for Cindy.

She’ll win the prince’s love,blessed  and will she be”

My sista will get to live safe and happily? I’ll agree!

Next day I helped out where I could in Cindy’s place

Keepng space between her and mother

Did hair and makeup up for my other, Lord knows I love her-

And Cindy too

She could finally have a chance to escape mother grasp

DING!!!, the clock strikes nine, had to get ‘em out now and leave the rest to the divine

We rode up to the ball flashiest of all, made up face, feigning grace as me and this sista a mine fought other dolled up debutantes to catch the prince’s eye

Yet who does he spy? No one but Cindy, in the most elegant disguise

Mother and all the rest were simply blind

To her angelic glow as she flows out from her carriage to the flo’

Looking every bit the girl she was meant to be, how could she not be adored

The light in her eyes, she looks so sure, the night will last forever more

Charming takes her by the hand, the two begin their destined dance

And as watched them both I dreamt of wedding plans

Casting all doubts aside I knew that this would be the man, to love her After all she had been through.

All the girls still cringed with envy, I couldn’t help but smuggle a grin

For they all realized they had no chance with him.

I won’t bore you  with the details, we all know how it ends

All worked out for the best and the rest is history . . .

All . . . except . . . me . . .

I wanna know when did I become ugly?

Who decreed that it should be that only blood could equate to love between siblings?

Yes it’s thicker than water, and yes, blood binds

But even blood lines can be thin when it comes to love and hate

After it all I me and my other left home into our own ever after

No princes, just peace.