Once Upon A Poem: Ursula

Now I know this may seem a bit absurd

But I’m telling you my intentions with Ariel were definitely blurred

I’d like to start by saying it’s a little unfair

My creators Ron Clements and John Musker were quite the manipulative pair

They drew the arch of my eyebrows incredibly tall

Which falsely gives the impression that my heart may be small

And then there’s the issue with my ridiculous name

The harsh tone behind “Ursula” could also be to blame

You see, I’m not as “power hungry” as you might think

To explain I must begin my story with the truth about “Sharks Inc…”

When I was just a little sea witch

My frightened parents abandoned me in a ditch

For years I longed for a nice place to call home

When one day I came across an ominous foam

Tinted green as seaweed, it stretched farther than I could see

If only I would have known it was my last real day being free

Before I knew it the foam sucked me in

Inside I found myself facing a shark wearing a grin

“Come here little girl we finally meet

I’ve waited very long for this day, my sweet”

Frightened by him I didn’t know what to do

I tried to cast a spell but it merely untied his shoe

He laughed and said “there’s nothing to fear

You can consider this place your home now my dear”

He showed me around and it was really quite nice

I was naive to think it wouldn’t come with a price

He called it “Sharks Inc” and said he could help with my spells

And once I turned sixteen he showed me the shells…

You see, the reason he took me in was not so sincere

At sixteen he introduced me to a witch with a nasty sneer

It was she who showed me the magical shells

Each one being adorned with a beautiful bell

Before she allowed me to take a look

She explained that I was the young witch from the book

It all goes back to an ancient curse

Cast upon sharks by an old witch nurse

Her name was Edna and she used her powers to heal

Until one day a shark decided her powers were impressive enough to steal

So this shark tied her up and locked her in a room

Here he thought her powers would bloom

His plan was to allow her powers to peak

And then the wealthiest buyer he would seek

But much to this shark's surprise

Edna cast a spell that led to the shark's demise

“With the power vested in me” she exclaimed

“Every shark must now live his life ashamed”

In that moment every dorsal fin disappeared

And with that the integrity of all sharks no longer persevered

Without the dorsal fin the sharks were no longer scary

Some would go so far as to say they even looked merry

It’s been a hundred years since the curse has been cast

And for another witch to break the spell the sharks searched wide and vast

Edna had an undo spell found later in her book

But it must be performed by the witch with the birthmark shaped like a hook

When Ursula was discovered alone in the ditch

A shark saw her and knew she was the witch

For on her shoulder she bore the mark

And the shark trailed her for months under cover in the dark

Back to the present, I made it to “Sharks Inc”

And have since been told I’m the missing link

The witch now allowed me to look at the shells with a sharp eye

And what they revealed made me fall back with a cry!

Unless I was able to obtain the trident of the king

His beautiful daughter Ariel will lose the ability to sing

The shells showed me that the trident contained the power I need

In order for the undoing spell to have enough strength to proceed

And if I was unable to attain the trident with the  power

The sharks will be so enraged on the third day at the last hour

That they’ll seek comfort in taking the cherished voice of King Triton's daughter

For without its beauty all of Atlantica will feel like a fish out of water

Distressed at receiving the news of my purpose  

I quickly left to address the king about my service

Annoyed by my banter he dismissed me away

He didn’t believe my  news was anything but a silly display

Panicked I knew I had to come up with a plan

And rumor around Atlantica, Ariel was in love with a man

So I used this information to come up with a scheme

And I suppose around this part of the story my character developed a misled evil theme…

You see, to me the idea of Prince Eric

Not falling in love with Ariel was simply barbaric

So in an effort to help both Ariel and myself

I gave her a potion from my highest shelf

With this magical bottle I gave her the legs she most desired

Hoping that after he hears his daughter is happy in love, King Triton would denounce me a liar

To Ariel I made myself very clear

That after three days the results could be drear

However as time had passed

The sharks became angry and wanted the task done fast

They forced me to drink a magical potion

Which turned me into a woman out of the ocean

Using Ariel’s voice they made me try to quickly win Eric’s heart

And for me, this had to be the hardest part

For I was no longer myself and no one knew

The sharks were the masterminds hidden in the deep blue

Fortunately for Ariel and myself

Her companions were able to break the spell, revealing herself

After a mental breakdown upon breaking free from the spell
I crawled in a cave I now call home to dwell

For years I lived in fear from the members of “Sharks Inc”

But it’s time my story came out, don’t you think?

And Ariel if you’re reading this

I truly hope you and Eric live out your lives in total bliss...

THE END