life taugh me that some little girls
become princesses and queens,
become knights and conquerors.
some discover they were kings all along.
other little girls
thicken their skin to scales
and spread their wings so wide
they can't fit within a castle's walls
without crumbling them.
lessons learned early were:
play nice, share your toys,
and smile with all your teeth,
unless they're sharp
enough to break through bone.
so what does a litle girl do
when she grows up
and realizes
all she knows how to do
is breathe fire?
