Meeting the beast
As you may know, I’ve been exploring fairy tales and what they might have to say to us in our modern world. This has typically ended up with commentary on events in the world, external to the individual. Promoted by a workshop on fairy tales as portals to the psyche run. by my friend and fellow poet Liz Barton, I have found myself turning more to the internal, the points of view of the people within the tales. I’m aware, of course, that the two are very interlinked. Our internal sense of pride or shame, our fears and uncertainties, all influence external behaviour. Today’s story is one which reflects that truth.
I’ve written about Beauty and the Beast before but this is a rather different take on the story, examining how they both feel, with an emphasis on the beast. The story is a classic example of redemption through love, specifically the love of a beautiful woman - characters in fairy stories are almost always either beautiful or evil, especially the women. The men are sometimes allowed to be simply weak. Attirudes which merit further examination, but not today. Here is the meeting between Beauty and the Beast…
Meeting beauty
I didn’t know the man had daughters
but longed so much for release
I took a risk
hazarded a guess
his life for hers
a leap of faith
which didn’t miss
I scare those I meet
ever since the curse
and if I fail
it could hardly be worse
than this
this blighted life
one woman’s kiss is
all I need
not death for her
a future as my wife
Why I agreed to this I can’t imagine
maybe my sisters had it right
what father agrees to sacrifice a child?
I approach the monster’s lair
with trepidation, he
looks a fright, I’m
all dressed up
I’ve done my hair
nails, the lot
doing what I’m told
terrified of what
the future holds
It was there I clapped eyes on the girl
treading carefully through my gate
hair coiffured
pretty in her summer dress
heart in mouth
much like my own
a scared creature
I was terrified
What had I done?
causing
such distress in one
so young
I retreated into silence
dark halls
loneliness and shame
couldn’t face her
couldn’t name my fears
felt my suffering
my wasted years
would accompany me to the grave
and yet
here she was
prepared to save me
to make that sacrifice
for her father and
my heart of ice
maybe it was worth another risk