The witch with a bee
Trigger Warning: This poem explores themes of emotional manipulation and gaslighting.
She’s a witch, but with a bee,
On her black veil,
Casting spells to sting me
“Disgrace” becomes the chant,
Wrapping around those who listen.
Smiling with her chipped front teeth,
While grinding her molars.
The victim in every scandal,
No human is innocent,
But she is,
Quite an abomination.
The lady with red lips,
Poisoning every apple she plucks,
Not for Snow White, but for the dwarves,
Turning them against the maiden.
"Shouldn’t have broken up with that lawyer;
You could’ve used someone stable and sensible.”
As if you didn’t paint me
As the madwoman –
Setting fires and wrecking gardens at night,
Someone who should be shackled
In a basement, without light
“Is he your friend?
He doesn’t want the family business, right?
Surround yourself with responsible people.”
While you fear his insight
And how he sees through your facade.
“Is she your best friend?
So sad her dad left for someone younger.
But don’t get too close;
Shame clings to the shameless.”
Shameless?
You, who trap innocents in honeyed lies
And make them parrot those lines
While they stone me to death.
“Anxious? Just focus on happiness;
It’s all in your head.
Why don’t you smile more?”
As if a smile is a filter I could wear,
To maintain the illusions you’ve laid,
So others won’t glance too closely, too near,
To spot the fractures in this veneer.
Compliments wrapped in barbs,
Kindness that stings,
Honesty, a mere mask,
Disguised cruelty within.
Can’t you see I’m screaming
While she’s scheming?
Always near my head buzzing
As I flail my hands
To swat the invisible bees around.
The people laugh,
“Oh, she’s mad, alright!”
I wish I could stone a beehive,
Feel their venom, feel their bite,
To finally show the world visible scars
But she takes the sympathy,
Wields the pity—
This is her stage,
And she decides our roles.
The benevolent queen
With red lips and a black veil decides,
I’m the ungrateful stray,
The rabid dog whom she tries to coddle,
But bites back.
PS : This narrative is purely fictional. Also, no disrespect to the Evil queen from Snow White or anyone who wears a black veil.
@azurePond
WOW! For a fictional narrative that felt extremely personal, kudos on grabbing not just the attention but also the heartstrings. The imagery you used was so potent I could easily envisage both the 'Witch Queen' and the narrator. Really excellent.
@BastionKnight Thank you! I wrote this poem seven times before I finally got it right. The earlier versions just didn’t resonate emotionally. I’m so glad that you were able to feel the poem. While the narrative is fictional, the emotions behind it are very real.
@azurePond
I did wonder if there was something more behind it as it felt so real. I am very sad if you ever felt a fraction of what your poem represents, but it has certainly given your creative skills a lot of 'clay' to work with, and the shapes you have coaxed out of it are remarkable.
I hope you have happier muses though to inspire you too.
@azurePond
Very captivating, Azure! IT IS SAD but I felt like that the sadness had a place. The cruelty clearly is a visage of the real world that is hidden behind the fantasy and dreams that it shows🙃. But to write about it so deeply that the feeling resonates nearly as soon as reached the second line represents that you too have faced the world's realty. I feel sorry for that. 😔 I hope days next are filled with UNICORNS that even I wish too see. I hope Knight tells them the path to us as well!😁
@wIthpeACE Thank you for your heartfelt message! It’s fascinating how sadness can reveal deeper truths about our world, and writing about it helps us process those feelings.
I share your hope for brighter days filled with joy and wonder. Here’s to discovering those hidden paths to unicorns and magic🌟
@azurePond
*glass clink* CHEERS!!😁