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snow white

I will be happier someday,

little words written in chalk

I will get myself together,

stitched up neatly without flaw

I try to keep the words from just evaporating out of me,

lake-tide lapping in

but imperfections straddle me.


prince charming will come someday,

some nerded up dork with brown hair

but he won’t be perfect, he won’t be textbook-ready

you know that.

he will make your heart soar, roar, slam against your chest,

but he might just stare at you, smile at you

when you do those things he can’t obsess over like you do.


there is a lot of talk of will, won’t, sometimes might

another thing you can’t predict – it might not be so black and white

I could spend weeks in bloodshed, in tear-rivers,

soaking in sunshine where I can

I could meet a million men that make me giddy

make me twirl around in dreamland with fairies,

but I could, maybe, never meet the one that wears a crown for me

I talk myself down

I keep myself on the ground.


the wind dies out, making room for crickets

for cicadas, and toads, and the hoot

puddles dry up,

tissues wreath around the cardboard box

I take the breathing seriously, the thinking of streams a life-or-death

I will be calmer, I will be better, I will keep what matters in a lock

it is myself.

sometimes left for vulture-feast when clocks hit ten

I will be happier/give him a chance/give myself a chance

breathe in.

breathe out.


- Keeley Young

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