Prince Charming by Erin Mullens (16, Maryland)

Prince Charming is the jewel
You spend your whole life looking for,
The prize that affirms your worth
Through kisses and words of love,
The perfect man, who shields you
From your mundane existence.

Prince Charming, whose elegance
Overshadows your clumsiness,
Whose muscled arms distract
From the scars on your arms,
Whose winning smiles erase
The hatred so many have for you.

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Your Prince Charming
Doesn’t care that you cry
When you look in the mirror
He finds your tears beautiful.
He dutifully holds your waist
Whenever you try to run
Off the cliff.

You don’t know Prince Charming
Is, in fact, your own solitary cell
The smooth walls of his perfection
Keeping you from smashing
All the spikes inside of you
He keeps you sane
But he keeps you trapped.

Prince Charming can’t see
You’re the reason
There’s venom in your veins
You were the snake
And the deer it killed
There is no Prince Charming
Capable of saving you.