I didn’t know
it would be so easy
to cough up the apple.

Ever since I decided
to stop waiting
for the prince to come,
to stop lying here so
sweetly composed,

ever since I threw oopen
that silly glass lid
and got up by muself,
(putting to flight
a flock of sympathetic birds
who sat and peered at me
daily),

ever since I figured
I can make it
to the neighboring kingdom
without a horse
or a prince,

I’ve been stomping around
in this forest
trying to find my way out.

It’s all right –
my castle is around here
somewhere.