Poem: Becoming the Queen - #TeamGirlPowa Poetry Contest - Judge’s Example

in #teamgirlpowa6 years ago (edited)

I am one of the judges for @teamgirlpowa’s ‘Feminist Fire’ Poetry Contest, and I’m posting this as an example of what an entry might look like.

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Photo by Frank Flores on Unsplash

Becoming the Queen

Snow White was anything but
her ashen skin
the color of snow that’s lain on the ground for days too long
grimy with the passing of peasant and lord
eyes hollow
black hair let loose around her face
resting on crimson’d silks
under glass
a sleeping beauty distant and cold

They got the story wrong
you see
the Witch wasn’t jealous
she too wore her ashen skin
the color of snow that’s lain on the ground for days too long
the Witch wasn’t jealous
she was wary
was weary

For she saw Snow White scared
grimy with the passing of peasant and lord
she said
Sister
take of me this apple
wouldn’t you like to be a queen
my fruit is yours to pluck
Sister
take
bite
and never again may they twist you
Sister

and Snow White was fearful
black hair let loose around her face
resting on crimson’d silks
but she reached from her bed into the basket
took the fruit topmost
a serpent twined her arm
as her strong white teeth bit apple flesh
she felt the bite
the apple fell from nerveless fingers
flesh fluttered in stale air
was still

The Witch chanted and waited
watched vigilant over her
for a night and a day
and a night and a day
and a night
and on the third day withdrew
at the sound of metal and saddle leather
some lordling come
to take
from some sleeping beauty
eyes hollow distant and cold

And though Snow White lay still
flesh fluttered in stale air
a serpent twined her arm
and she stirred
as he pressed his lips to her ashen skin
her strong white teeth bit
his prize fell from nerveless fingers
she said
my fruit is yours to pluck
rose from beneath him
and left his body
resting on crimson’d silks
stepped lightly down to her Sister
and Snow White said
wouldn’t you like to be a queen?

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Artist’s Statement:

Old fairy tales can be pretty horrifying. This piece draws on a variety of sources, including the Genesis story, Snow White, and Sleeping Beauty. In the Giambattista Basile version of the Snow White tale, a king sexually assaults a sleeping woman and leaves; while still unconscious, the woman gives birth, and later awakes very confused to find herself a new mother. Somewhere along the way, this transformed into a romantic narrative where a beautiful princess is awoken by the kiss of a handsome prince, blah blah, fall in love, happily ever after, etc. The first story, unfortunately, seems more true to life.

I wrote this poem to return some agency to the sleeping woman. As a survivor of sexual assault myself, I have struggled with the fear and anger that my assaults left behind. Many survivors struggle, too, with shame; the idea that we are somehow ‘ruined,’ made impure by our rapist’s actions, pervades popular culture. In my poem, both the witch and Snow White are changed by what was done to them, but they find strength and sisterhood in each other. We are all changed by our experiences; in this case, the two women become warriors—they take their power back, and survive. For me, banding together against rapists is a powerful example of Feminist Fire.

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Photo by Marina Khrapova on Unsplash

Thanks for reading!

This poem was originally published in Sun Star Review.

Divider created by javehimself, and used with gratitude.

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Congratulations @tessaragabrielle, your post has been selected by the @asapers for a resteem and a feature in our brand new curation post. Issue 40

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oh my gosh. This is a wonderful piece. Thank you for sharing. What a story. Women should support each other

Thanks for reading! I definitely think we all ought to support each other more, and I try to do that as much as I can. 😊

What a great poem! Upvoted :)

Thanks so much! 😊

Thanks for sharing.I will re-esteem this so that I can view it on my wall and use it as a guideline for my entry.

Thanks for reading, and I look forward to seeing your entry!

An incredibly powerfully poem, @tessaragabrielle. We will surely fare better when we bond together. And i really like seeing the witch in a positive light.

Thanks! I think a lot of fairy tales cast older women in villainous roles, and part of writing this poem for me was exploring what if the witch was misrepresented? And putting her on a continuum of experience with Snow White, getting them on the same side. It felt healing to consider her that way.

That's really lovely. As I get older, I see the way the world discards older women. I look very forward to my sea witch years.

It does, but I love to acknowledge the beauty, wisdom, and power of older women. I’m excited for my own crone years, when they come. ☺️

Likewise. We will be much wiser when we begin to listen. I have been blessed by many beautiful and powerful crones in my life. My crone years are drawing nigh, but I have to say menopause sucks a lot. Hot flashes in the Caribbean are no joke.

Ooh, yeah, that sounds like a lot, with the humidity...

Yeah. Some days I'm just violently angry.

this is very beautiful and very powerful @tessaragabrielle, thank you for sharing your very personal story and poem with us, as women we really do need to work more on supporting one another and building one another up also. Much love and light to you, pure power xx

Thanks for reading, and for your lovely comments! I definitely think we all ought to support each other more, and that's part of why I'm glad for this contest—I'm excited to give out these STEEM to our wonderful entrants. 😊

A contest for all, thank you for sharing this with us during the show. Hopefully the entries are go beyond your expectations!

Thanks! We've got several great entries so far, and I do hope we get even more. 😊

Wow , sis , this was so beautiful , the truth !! I really didn't know about the king making a girl pregnant while she still unconscious , but I guess this world is so bad like that. 😢😡.
Thanks for showing how it's done , il also try , I'm not sure if I can write as beautiful as you , but I'll also give it a try.. thank you sis 😇💗

Thanks for your comments! 😊

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