Thought I was ready for love—
Time for my fairytale story—
Ball gowns, slippers, and doves.
Thought the frog I swiped right on
One day a prince would become.
Croaked all the promises
I’d been longing to hear—
So I put on red lipstick,
Donned a lace gown,
Set the trap.
Sealed the marriage contract
With a lipstick autograph.
At first, I didn’t notice
The magic wearing thin.
When I broke out in bruises—
Three fingers on one side,
The other, indent of a thumb—
He bought cream for my skin.
He said I just needed glasses—
It was only my eyes.
Never him.
But one day I finally
Awoke from the spell:
True love is not magic.
Love doesn’t fix what’s unsafe.
Can’t transform reality—
Saw the frog in true form,
Not quite a monster,
But not the prince
I thought him once to be.
When hope went hollow,
Too tired to play pretend.
I’d handled frogs before—
Knew just what to do.
Went back to biology,
Sliced him open in two.
Saved only four parts,
Threw the rest in the waste.
He truly was hazardous—
Let the Bunsen burner blaze.
Can’t go back in time,
Can’t take away the kisses.
But I’ll sit down as I eat—
Turned fool into fuel,
Double breaded, pan-fried him
In my seasoned cast iron.
Man, I love frogs.