Things I have learned from Fairy Tales by Sophie Anderson

Things I have learned from Fairy Tales

Beware of kings, castles and locked doors,

queens, combs and bodices laced too tight

Never drink from a puddle

even if it reflects the sky

and don’t rely on your family

(sometimes they are, in fact, wolves)

Spinning straw into gold is an oubliette

and ballgowns turn to rags at midnight

Yet, there are things in this world that can save you–

a wild boar’s lungs and liver, in place of your own

and a bear skin coat (other skins will do)

Claim the enchanted gall nuts hidden in the rafters

and trail bright pebbles through the forest

Win a flaming skull from a beautiful hag

and mount the severed horse head on a wall

Water hazel twigs with your tears

and pocket bones you find in cages

Grow juniper, seek the flowers from your dreams

and eavesdrop on imps who dance round fires

But if you stumble upon a prince in the woods–

know that not all fairy tales are true

and the wisest have a witch’s heart

Sophie Anderson grew up on the Welsh coast and now lives in the Lake District with her family. Her writing is most often inspired by folk and fairy stories, especially the Slavic tales her Prussian grandmother told her when she was young.