A Fairy Tale

A Fairy Tale

Didn’t believe a single word
today, not even my own,
or take the oblong pill
for depression, or feed even
a wee dram of rocket fuel
to the blackstrap rum dragon
who dwells in the belly
and tries to cut paper dolls
that burst into flame.

Thought instead about the brown
toad who squats in the rock wall
and crawls out at night. Thought
about hopping on sharp gravel,
how bugs must taste, and realized
a princess might be useful after all.