The Fairy Tale of Potential

Sometimes I become the princess in the tower,

Flowing gracefully to the window,

Bending toward it with immeasurable longing.

 I have special power that, if released,

Would cause great good

And great harm.

So I am kept hidden,

The Hope diamond

In the deepest mine.

My power manifests itself fitfully.

I grow towards self-discovery.

Of course, I am rescued by a beautiful knight,

For every princess needs love

To strengthen her heart

And guide her journey.

I master my power and rule the kingdom

And all the bad that was foretold

Is forgotten.

It is a happy ever after.

But if I wrote that fairy tale,

I would also be the evil.

For no witch keeps me in the tower,

I do.

For reasons unknown,

I trap myself behind the glass

And stone

And hide from the world.

Of course, I know my power.

Of course, I know my destiny.

But I hide because

I can’t leave.

I am broken

They must never see.

Better they think me odd,

Better they think me a mystery,

Than see broken butterfly wings

And have their own fairy tales crushed.

Leave me be.

I can live with being broken.

I can face days, looking only at a single moment.

Because then I can be the princess in the tower.

Because then I can forget that I am also

The witch.