sonnet 65: shakespeare

Good day, loves~

This here today is not my writing (obviously). It belongs to none other than the esteemed Shakespeare whose skill level I can hardly even dream of reaching. Enjoy Sonnet 65, a stunning work of his that has been emblazoned in my memory since I first read it in middle school.

Since brass, nor stone, nor earth, nor boundless sea,
But sad mortality o'er-sways their power,
How with this rage shall beauty hold a plea,
Whose action is no stronger than a flower?
O, how shall summer's honey breath hold out
Against the wreckful siege of battering days,
When rocks impregnable are not so stout,
Nor gates of steel so strong, but Time decays?
O fearful meditation! where, alack,
Shall Time's best jewel from Time's chest lie hid?
Or what strong hand can hold his swift foot back?
Or who his spoil of beauty can forbid?
O, none, unless this miracle have might,
That in black ink my love may still shine bright.

capturing infinity

shoutout to my amazing math buddy annabelle for helping me stay alive through countless hours of tedium...

We can dance,
waltz with the breeze.

Catch the fireflies,
and set them all free.

We can run along the horizon,
'til we reach the sea.

Seize the sunset,
and splatter red, blue, gold streaks across the sky.

But we can never capture infinity,
the step ahead of you is the end.
Yet there's always something in front of you,
always... and forever running free.

cinderellen?

Let's get one thing straight -- I absolutely abhor this Prince Charming, but now I'm stuck with him for the rest of my life.

Are you confused? Because so was I when I was dragged forcefully away from my loving foster mother.

Ella and I were born as identical twins, and when I say identical, I really mean... identical.

Well, at least physically... It also didn't help that our mother and father decided to name us Ella and Ellen. Let me tell you, we couldn't be any more different. Don't get me wrong -- we were in cahoots with each other and loved each other very much, but our personalities have major differences.

As a child, I was clumsy and lacked the elegance Ella had, while she was perfect in my parents' eyes. They loved us both, but when it came to social outings, I was to stay away from them in case I caused a major catastrophe and watch from afar as they flaunted my twin sister's talents and looks. Her dresses were always so much better than mine, but I couldn't hate her because she was just too kind. I honestly love her so much, and she loves me, too. Sometimes, she would give me some of her dresses to wear, but to be honest, I loved wearing those things called jumpsuits. In my mind, they were just as elegant as those twirling gowns, but obviously, since society simply would not accept a woman wearing any type of pants, I wasn't really allowed to wear them. 

After Mother died, Father was bereft until he finally found that monster of a stepmother. While I ran away and lived with a foster mother whom I love dearly, and I know for a fact that she loves me just as much, Ella was too obedient to follow me, so she was stuck being the underdog. Day in and day out, she sent me messages with doves, despairing, but hopeful that one day she would be able to lead a better life. I always wrote back, comforting her, reassuring her that her good deeds would one day be returned to her.

Little did I know that that would have happened, if only Prince Charming and his assistants weren't so dimwitted.

Night after night, Ella gushed on and on about the balls and the love of her life, thanking her fairy godmother and always wishing that I was there along with her. She was so enchanted by this turn of events, and I couldn't help but also experience them through her writings to me. That is, until she lost her shoe on the last night. Her tear marks blotted the ink, and little circles of wrinkles were scattered across the parchment as she lamented that would never see him again. When news arrived that dear Prince Charming was riding around the kingdom to find his mysterious love, Ella once again gushed and hoped and dreamed so much that I feared she would be lost among the stars forever. Her happiness was infectious; I fueled her excitement, sure that they would soon be reunited.

However, in one fell swoop, everything went wrong. Our house happened to be before Ella's on the Prince's route around the kingdom. My foster mother, ever my supporter, encouraged me to try it on, just for kicks. I don't know where our fairy godmother's spell went wrong, but the shoe slipped on and fit perfectly, and I instantly remembered Ella's rant about how surprisingly comfortable her crystal heels were. Before even double checking, Charming picked me up, spun me around, and kissed me hard right on the lips. Feeling disgusted and violated, I pranced away with only one shoe on, since I obviously didn't have the other. When I tried to inform him of this fact, he blew it off and kissed me passionately once again. I couldn't exactly fight him; after all, he was a prince, and I but another of his subjects, but definitely not who he thought I was. I "giggled," swiping furiously at my lips in a futile attempt to erase the memory of this violation. As we stepped out of the house, I could barely eke out a fake smile and wave to the crowd in the streets. On the ride back to his castle, I tried as hard as I could to convince him that it was my twin sister, even going so far as to make him turn back, saying that I had forgotten a precious possession of mine to show him the letters Ella had written to me. Nothing seemed to faze the love-blind fool, and I couldn't do anything except call a dove and send it to my poor sister.

Weeks went by, and families came in a constant stream, each claiming that I was not his true love, and that their daughter was in fact the one whom he was so infatuated with. Yes, even those who had tried on the shoe. Thankfully, he wasn't idiotic enough to waste time with those who didn't look like me or Ella. As a last attempt to help my sister, I sent for Ella and organized a meeting for the Prince and her, but he refused to believe that she was the one he truly loved.

The wedding passed, a terribly garish deformity in my painting of memory. Soon, I was officially the crown princess, and there was nothing I could do. As I came to know Prince Charming better, I simply hated him more. I don't know how he managed to seem intelligent during the ball, but I think that he purged his mind of all that he had learned in preparation for that fete. He had a childish innocence which some could see as charming, but I simply saw it as a fatal flaw in a to-be king. Not only that, but he obviously also rushed into making decisions and completely skipped over any details.

Now, I feel as if I am that overly exasperated mother, having to correct her child at every turn, and what makes matters worse is that I don't have a millionth of the patience that Ella has. I'm terribly sorry, Ella, wherever you may be. If only I could switch places with her without this overly protective idiot realizing... I would even work for her stepfamily if it meant escaping this moronic prince and allowing my twin the happiness she deserves.