(In Iambic Pentameter)**
From saddest tales I desire release,
And what would be my just and fair reward,
(The letter comes, Cinderella asks to be allowed to go to the ball.)
Her bosom was endeared without a heart
Being your slave, what should I do but tend
Why didst thou promise such a beauteous gown
"A ball to attend, why waitest thou here?
As an untainted maiden at the ball
(Cinderella dances with Prince Charming & they fall in love.)
(Midnight comes and Cinderella flees, leaving behind a glass slipper.)
Is it thy will thy image should keep awake
In tears they watched in silence it shatter
-- 20 January 2003 --
**Note: It's not the whole thing because parts were really crappy; it was actually an english assignment... so yeah, I left the really bad parts out. I'll fix the other stanzas and put them back in later.
That thereby love's memory shalt lay and die,
But as my father should by time decease,
Thus bear his tender memory shall I.
But thou, contracted to thine own cruel lies,
Feed'st thy dark flame with self-substantial fuel
Already ripe with greed while he still dies,
Not sisters nor mother, thou art too cruel.
And I, that is his faithful child and heir,
Am subject to your beck and call and needs,
A slave to all you want, it is unfair--
That I must bare the burden of these deeds.
Pity my fate, or else this glutton be:
To eat the world's due, by the grave and thee.
That I, his daughter, hast so duly earned
With piercing of my heart upon this sword,
From which only I seem to have learn'd?
Each day I slave away and cook thy food,
Each night I stay awake and clean thy house,
Shun the cold, though your daughters are so rude,
Eat my hate, for thou wast my father's spouse.
Yet step-mom and sisters sit discontent,
While I must work for all you will not do,
No time for me, my energy all spent,
Only fear of punishment sees me through.
Yet perhaps with reason I am set here,
That I may learn to love and to endure.
Which her lacking must have supposed dead,
And there reigns cruelty in its darkest part,
And there she thought of what it was I said.
How many a holy and obsequious tear
Hath never wrought love from within her eye
And thus I waited silently to hear
A debauched truth, an insidious lie.
"Thou art the grave where buried hope doth live,
Hung with the trophies of your father gone,
Who all his parts of thou to me did give:
That due of many now is mine alone.
The ball thou mayst attend with my consent,
First take this list and complete its content."
Upon the hours and times of your desire?
I have no precious time at all to spend,
Just services to do that you require;
Nor dare I chide the list-without-end hours
Whilst thou, my sovereign, watch the clock for me,
But think of balls and dresses and flowers,
When you have bid your servant once adieu.
Nor dare I question with contemptuous thought,
What I must do that your affairs suppose,
Thus like a sad slave stay and think of naught
Save, what to do, how difficult are those.
So true a fool am I within your will,
That I'll do anything, I think no ill.
And make me work hard and complete my chores
To give me these rags, even yet unsown
And take my dress, swearing it to be yours?
Hiding thy jealousy in loud contempt
'Tis not enough that thou my heart hast broke
But leave me all alone and so unkempt
That thou may look like sweeter, better folk.
Nor can thy shame give comfort to my grief,
Though thou goes off, yet I have still the loss,
Thine scrofulousness lendeth not relief,
To I, who suffers acut from thy cross.
But thou wouldst leave without redress for me
Then up away--fly far, and let me be.
Cry not, your fairy god-mother am I.
Why sit thou here and dance thou not in cheer?
Here is a dress to make Prince Charming sigh.
And true concord, this dress, it doth surmise
By unions married shall contend thine heart
Now shed away that crude, untrue disguise
And wear upon thine person this fair art.
Needest thou now a coach and two drivers,
And to pull the carriage, four white horses.
And finally, I give thee two glass slippers,
Glass slippers which magic reinforces.
But here I think it wise I should advise:
At mid of night, the magic herein dies."
Who with her fear is put beside her heart,
I step slowly, unsurely down the hall,
My strength's abundance quickly falls apart.
Fear of step-mother's wrath should I be caught,
Agony over step-sisters' hatred,
That I should come and dance and tell them not,
The fear of being caught leaves me in dread.
O let my thoughts be then encouraging
Of quaint presagers of my pounding breast,
Which please for love, and looks for Prince Charming
And to his heart, my heart it must confess.
But a man in the crowd captures my eye,
And beckons from my heart the sweetest sigh.
My heavy heart to the wearisome night?
Dost thou desire my hope I should forsake
To shadows like to thee in fleeting sight?
But from thy castle comes a message swift
Carried by two gentlemen, a letter,
I daren't hope, yet it sets mine heart adrift,
'Tis well to dream of thou, but I think better.
Thus from my room I hear the announcement--
"The prince, in love, now seeks his princess fair,
And with this glass slipper we have been sent,
To find this maiden, and their love repair."
In sight, the stairs they did ascend too swift
And break my fairy god-mother's last gift.
My step-mother's face lit up with vict'ry,
Thus I sought her evil lies to deter
The truth I will tell, let me speak, I plea
From out my pocket, take I a glass shoe
The matching side of that which they thought lost
My wretched sisters knew not what to do
And my evil mother knew not the cost.
For all the years of hate and pain they gave
That one might finally come set me free
That for my heart I may'st one day be saved,
For thou hast given thy love unto me.
Now I know the reason I am set here,
That I may learn to love and to endure.
