A Modern Look at Happily Ever After

A picturesque castle in a far away land is bullshit compared to my studio apartment in the city.

In a land where magic and mystery rule, the only magic is the coffee that keeps me awake for my 12 hour serving shift after 6 hours of college classes and the only mystery is how I am still alive.

The long golden hair and Intricate dresses are replaced by a buzzed haircut and Jeans to curb my dysphoria.

How I wish to have my land cursed and sleep for one hundred years. Maybe then I will finally get a good night's rest and not have to worry about getting harassed on the bus, or the subway, to the street, or my own bedroom.

My fairy-godmother is my "too gay and depresed to function" best friend. The only wish they grant is long talks over how the ruler of this land has done us unjustly.

The animals don't come to me when I sing. They get frightened on my looks and the sound of my voice. How I wish I could run from my monsters as well.

The knight in shining armor will never come for me because I am both the fire breathing dragon and the damsel in distress.

In my experience: his words are sharper than his sword, His lackey is misogyny, and his compassion is as deep as a puddle in the desert.

The happily ever after is just me, by myself because I am too strong and too independent for a bot in gilded armor holding onto empty promises.