mangosteen

Flowers and fruit of the mangosteen, and Singapore monkey, by Marianne North. (1890).

This work is within the public domain.

When I see true love I cry. 

Like kittens to mice and

dust to antiquity, 

seven dwarves flock to 

A pretty princess

More shiny than the gems they mine. 

Prince to princess, 

love to love, 

exciting beginnings to 

happy endings, 

as such this story will go. 

But it should never be 

without it’s evil turns, it’s

unexpected lulls, it’s

hints of darkness. 

Because I should not be left

to my own devices, right? Because

I thought we all deserved 

something, and it’s not fair, not fair, not fair,

because 

under this wart-filled

visage, under this gaunt

mask, there is

a little girl who lived right next door. 

When I see true love I cry. 

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This poem is inspired by the story of the evil queen in Snow White. The idea for the poem sprouted from a single quote I wrote down in my notes app, “When I see true love I cry”. It is so often that one who has experienced the intimacy of love may only feel a haunting jealousy when they witness it upon someone else and not on themselves. I decided to take an empathetic perspective in the role of the evil queen in Snow White, and perhaps provide reason for her doings.

Yaejun is a current high schooler in the New Jersey area. She has been recognized by the Scholastic Art & Writing Association, the National Council for Teachers of English, and the New York Times. She enjoys reading and writing poetry. Besides poetry, she loves to play tennis and watch Netflix.