A Fleeting Fairytale

art by Sneha Lakamsani, words by Megana Kumar

There once lived a girl in a kingdom of sand

a kingdom of sand, in a faraway land, 

to eat and to spit and to kiss right off teeth 

slipped in hard grains right under her feet. 

a kingdom of sand, in a faraway land,
with sister and mother who wrung her to cinder,
slipped in hard grains right under her feet
till the bones in her hands had started to splinter.

with sister and mother who wrung her to cinder,
she wanted so bad to see sand turn to glass,
till the bones in her hands had started to splinter
so she’d find sweet escape in the clear underpass.

she wanted so bad to see sand turn to glass,
and so a fairy wished her a gossamer gown,
so she’d find sweet escape in the clear underpass
she flew in her carriage to dance with the crown.

and so a fairy wished her a gossamer gown,
told her keep watch, time shall pass fast,
she flew in her carriage to dance with the crown

and all her eyes saw was the castle of glass.

told her keep watch, time shall pass fast,
her hair turned to star and she grew crystal fingers,
and all her eyes saw was the castle of glass.
no longer a girl of rough sand and burnt cinder.

her hair turned to star and she grew crystal fingers,
and her spiderweb frock stitched hands meant to splinter,
no longer a girl of rough sand and burnt cinder
but she didn’t keep watch, and time never lingers.

and her spiderweb frock stitched hands meant to splinter,
the clock was no more than a sparkly speck
but she didn’t keep watch, and time never lingers.
the gossamer had started to split from her dress.

the clock was no more than a sparkly speck
ears heard no tock-tick, just beads on her neck
the gossamer had started to split from her dress.
saw herself in the glass, starting to wreck. 

ears heard no tock-tick, just beads on her neck
glass girl spun to sand, frayed spiderweb
saw herself in the glass, starting to wreck.
sand burned into shatter, into cinder, again. 

glass girl spun to sand, frayed spiderweb

shards down her throat, could barely breathe 

sand burned into shatter, into cinder, again.  

in a faraway land, in a faraway land.

shards down her throat, could barely breathe 

can’t eat can’t spit can’t kiss right off teeth

in a faraway land, in a faraway land.

A girl was once caged in a kingdom of sand.