Omg crystal the first two stanzas are beautiful!! The set up was great but you used fairy tales in a dark way. It seems like real life is never like a happy ending. That's the world we live in today. "The big bad wolf" can be the minster inside us or the guy that the relationship failed from. Who knows. Loved the imagery of the "huff and puff" stanza, it is true someone tries to stand in our way and kill our dreams just because we look a certain way. The world is a very judgemental place. People always seem sweet and charming but in the end they show the beast they were to begin with. That ending. Wow. It's hard to believe in love when you have been hurt so much. But thus poem omg! You are a true talent. 5/5 plus!

Omgoodness wow, this is such a beautiful poem, I was reading this and wondering how you did this, it is truly a tremendous poem and has a lot to say that I want to read and has a very memorable style and this is powerful beyond words and my favorite line I'll have to say is the first line because that is my favorite way to start something "Once Upon A Time", I think this poem is good both for fairytale lovers such as myself and ones who aren't big fans of fairytales, a poem for everyone, excellent Poem!!!

This is really...wow... i love the fact that you tought of this ... like, you showed how fairytales are truly are in reality and i just. Love everything about this <3

This totally is amazing! I can't believe the approach you took with the prompt, how creative and unique. well done for that.

I really like the way you tried to involve so many fairy tales, all the good and bad things like the slipper from Cinderella, and the poisonous apple from Snow White, all your common, well know stories, that all have "happy endings" and yet people are so quick to forget the bad starts the stories have. Like you say further in your poem, does anyone really change for good. The beauty and the beast story was good, because he was judged so quickly, and then became a really handsome and charming guy, but then people do that in real life, and then later on, in part 2 of the story, they never truly changed, but just created a false mask to fool others.

I truly love your ending of the poem, how instead of making it about someone you once loved, you made it about believing in love, and loving the idea of love, but then you now believe int he opposite, as life has shown you the reality.

I think it quite a deep poem, in the way that children are so innocent, and so gullible, that they really believe life will have all happy endings. I think it also shows the devastation when you finally realise the fairy tales are fake, and life is not like that at all.

Over all, I think the poem is just outstanding, your title matches really well and portrays that idea that you will no longer believe in fairy-tales, there will be no more for you. It all ends now.

Well done again on writing this amazing poem, and good luck for the weekly contest!

Crystal, you never fail to amaze me! I apologize for my lack of comments in general but I'm planning on remedying my lack of participation.

This piece blew me away, I love the approach you took with the prompt and you penned something so many can relate to.

As a child reading and hearing fairytales you have a perception of love but reality is far harsher and happily ever after doesn't often happen that way. Its a road that is long and never ending. And you captured this brilliantly.

Your metaphors are outstanding, and the imagery is beautiful yet real. Love this piece Crystal!

Love

Xxx

This is amazing. I love it :)

Most of the time, I try to stay away from the fairytale poems. It's usually the same cliche's used over and over again, but not this one. This is completely unique and I absolutely ADORE it! You have true talent, Crystal... I never get tired of reading your work.

Of course, the beginning has to have 'Once upon a time' or it isn't considered a fairytale, so I'm glad you included that. The King and Queen sat side by side as equals and lovers until recently... there is trouble in the kingdom. I do feel like the opening falls a little short compared to the rest of the poem, but I kind of like it's simplicity due to the fact that most fairy tales are very simple in their wording because they are meant for children.

I love the idea of the fairy tales being alternate endings, how the author was writing to express what they did not have - true love.

I'm really impressed with all of the different fairy tale situations you managed to write in just this one poem, they don't seem forced at all, they flow from one to the next so smoothly! Basically, you say that fairy tales aren't realistic. There is no remedy for a poisoned apple, the slipper was lost forever, and "happily ever after" almost is a rare find. Girls continue to want to be rescued by a prince in shining armor yet all they continue to do is stare face to face with the big bad wolf.

After each failed relationship, your confidence seems to fade with each one. You still feel like the ugly duckling in search for their prince and the hair that once flawlessly flowed down the tower is all split ends. Best friends are hard to come by, most certainly fewer than seven and each time you try to start fresh, someone comes and blows each dream away like it was nothing.

The beast or frog may turn into a prince and you may think that all of your dreams have came true but the fact is, people never truly change for good. They may change for a short period of time, to capture your heart, to please you...but in the long run, their true colors with shine once again. They will soon go back to being who they truly are.

You plead for any kind of self medication because insomnia only allows your thoughts to linger too long and you are just exhausted from waiting for true love. In reality, there is no "The End" written in cursive to signify the closure of a relationship, you are lucky if you even get closure at all in most cases.

I love the repetition of once upon a time. You used to believe in love but you don't anymore. You have endured too much heartache, you have written too many fairy tales of your own, too many alternate endings... your ink has finally ran dry.

I just counted all of the different fairy tales you incorporated in this piece and it totals 8! That's amazing, wonderful job! I nominated this for the weekly contest and I truly hope you win with this piece or "Oh, Dreamer"... seriously both deserve to be on the front page!

I'm so guilty of laughing right now, I'm so sorry! I love what you did to the poem it's nothing bad trust me it's a truly wonderful idea that you could manage to change the poem into what you wanted. I have to say the poem is so true, God I'm laughing so badly as I type this. Prince Charming is never coming to any girl unless she finds him by accident nobody is going to wake us up from a comatose state just because they find us that is the reality. The poem itself flowed flawlessly, the imagery (I'm guilty of laughing really badly) is hilarious but in a spectacular way! The emotions are so good! It's like a teacher telling you the truth and not sugarcoating ANYTHING this is what I would tell my daughter I think I need your permission to have this poem on my wall because it's so going to go on my daughter's wall one day. That's gonna be my lesson to her and I'll say "mommy got this poem years ago with the permission of her friend" and just teach her not to trust love. What I love and love and love is the fact you started with "Once upon a time" and used it so beautifully that I'm so happy this is one of the last poems I'll read Crystal 5/5

-Mori

This is awesome.

Wonderful imagery throughout. Thoroughly good.

Again, so much has already been said, but I feel the need to dissect this anyway - I hope that is alright with you.

Once upon a time
our thrones sat side by side
as equals, as lovers
but lately there has been
trouble in the kingdom.

---

^Amazing introduction, a lot like a storybook would have (quite fitting). I like how this gives a hint at why you chose to compare this relationship to a fairytale as well as a tiny glimpse of why you no longer think so.

Perhaps fairytales were alternate endings
written for every failed relationship by
a poet who was unable to move on.

^ I love the perspective this stanza gives. I've never thought of it that way, but now I can totally see it. I can also say that the way you penned this stanza was not only unique, but brilliantly potent.

What they never tell you is that
there is no known treatment to remedy
a bite from a poisoned apple, a slipper lost
in the heat of a frantic dash is lost forever,
and the "happily ever after" almost never comes;
instead, we all stood there awaiting rescue
as frightened little girls staring helplessly
into the faces of our big bad wolves,
their hungry teeth ready to snap..
and rescue, well it never came.

^Another great use of perspective. I really like how you took the stereotypical little girl and put her in a story like she's always wanted and then spun it from there. The full force of the reality that a kiss from your true love, and princes aren't always who we think they are, is not only shocking but perfectly explained. It makes your piece along while also giving a bit of insight as to how your "fairy tale" felt. I think this stanza also alludes to the fact all of those little girls in their fluffy dress up gowns have to be their own savior someday and I like the way you did that (even if unintentionally) because it makes this stanza seem a little more "real" to counteract the fairytaleness.

Inside we are still the ugly ducklings
out here in search of our "just right",
our hair that once cascaded from tower sides
is now brittle with split ends- our best friends
are most assuredly fewer than seven
and each time we try to start fresh
someone comes to huff and puff
and blow our dreams away.

^ Again with the reality to the stories. I like it, even how you used the ugly duckling - because I had forgotten that one and it really works here! I love how all of the references in this stanza go so well hand in hand here, and unless you read closely enough you're really not likely to notice all of them or how well they support each other.

They never tell you that, yes,
your beast or frog may turn into
the prince you had long dreamed for
but people never truly change-
for good.

^ This one hits the audience hard. I want to say more about it, but I just can't get the words to come out the way I want them to.

We plead for sleeping spells
because insomnia keeps us with
our thoughts for too long and
we have grown tired of waiting
for a true love's kiss-
"The End" isn't written in a
fancy cursive, hell, we're lucky
if we even get closure.

^ Eloquently put despite the heartbroken nature. I hate how true this one is.

Once upon a time
I believed in love,

but then my ink ran dry.

^ Phenomenally concluded, well worth the length. Extraordinarily penned.

Wow wow wow. I loved this, it's beautiful and really worked well together, just everything fitted nicely like an amazing book you can't put down it gripped me from start to finish because of your words and structure.

Once upon a time
our thrones sat side by side
as equals, as lovers
but lately there has been
trouble in the kingdom.
^^
I love how you open it up like a fairytale because it makes e wonder if it truly is going to be an 'Happy ending' as you state there's recently been 'trouble in the kingdom.'

---

Perhaps fairytales were alternate endings
written for every failed relationship by
a poet who was unable to move on.
^^
Love the prospect of poets writing alternate endings to fairy tales, unique.

What they never tell you is that
there is no known treatment to remedy
a bite from a poisoned apple, a slipper lost
in the heat of a frantic dash is lost forever,
and the "happily ever after" almost never comes;
instead, we all stood there awaiting rescue
as frightened little girls staring helplessly
into the faces of our big bad wolves,
their hungry teeth ready to snap..
and rescue, well it never came.
^^
No they never tell us that love hurts like, that here are not many 'prince charming's' because we have to kiss many frogs along the way, lose many slippers and pick ourselves up a lot along the way. I love how you take the fairy tales and make them your own here.

Inside we are still the ugly ducklings
out here in search of our "just right",
our hair that once cascaded from tower sides
is now brittle with split ends- our best friends
are most assuredly fewer than seven
and each time we try to start fresh
someone comes to huff and puff
and blow our dreams away.
^^
Again use of fairy tales that always allude us to happy endings as young girls but it's not all plain sailing as you so rightly state.

They never tell you that, yes,
your beast or frog may turn into
the prince you had long dreamed for
but people never truly change-
for good.
^^
I love this part because although we can love a person they don't truly change. They will still be that crazy person we fell in love with.

We plead for sleeping spells
because insomnia keeps us with
our thoughts for too long and
we have grown tired of waiting
for a true love's kiss-
"The End" isn't written in a
fancy cursive, hell, we're lucky
if we even get closure.
^^
Wow this is my fave stanza because right now I am at this point in life. I am sick of waiting for love and fairy tales always end in a loves true kiss why lol haha love the end of this part too.. We're lucky if we even get closure because we are if a relationship ends people just move on no explanation, usually.

Once upon a time
I believed in love,

but then my ink ran dry
^^
Fab ending to a truly magical piece, Em