World Literature

I feel like a princess locked in a tower.
My Narcolepsy is my dragon guard.
My weight loss is the lava moat that makes me cower more.
My evil witch is merely my medicine,
At first we didn’t see the harm,
For it had a magic disguise to seem so beautiful.
My poison apple of my story is this place I’m in.
All those cute animals represent my friends.
And now the magic mirror on the wall shows me their true form,
As they reside in the dark.
My fairy godmother is that flame with in me that refuses to die.
The prince I long await is no man at all.
But time, time for things to fix and level out,
Time for things to get better,
Then I will wear my tiara proudly.
Once my dragon sleeps,
The lava becomes rock,
The witch’s curse is broken,
I rid of the poison apple,
I befriend people not shape shifters,
My fairy godmother no longer needs to struggle,
And the magic mirror breaks,
Because that is when my fight is over.
That is when I will truly be a princess!

About the poet:
Shelby Stein is a 17 year old living in Texas. She was diagnosed with narcolepsy with cataplexy last year at age 16. Her symptoms started before the 7th grade, but her family had no idea that these symptoms could possibly be narcolepsy. Shelby is a military child with her father deploying every other year since 2005. She loves to write and wants people to understand her narcolepsy without letting it define her.

REMRunner’s note: Thank you, Shelby, for sharing your powerful poetry! It gives me chills and brings tears to my eyes. From one “Sleeping Beauty” to another, I’m cheering you on!

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