THE FOLLOWING POEM WAS SELECTED IN WINGWORD POETRY PRIZE 2023 LONGLIST.

There's a villain in every story,

Either the evil step mother of the West

Or the wicked witch of the East,

It might be a monster or the beast.

How do the villain looks like?

Do they always have a black cap?

Have a shrilling or evil laugh?

Or does it wear a big scary mask?

Once I walk passed a mirror,

And saw her gazing at me.

I realized looking at the mirror,

I saw a villain that looks a lot like me.

A found a villain inside me,

Without a black cap or a scary mask, I see.

But the villain I found,

Try making me a prisoner but not one behind the bars.

It brings out my scares,

My fears, sadness and agresssion.

It causes me a lot of envy,

And leaves me with a deep impression.

There's a villain in every story,

A statement that is true.

But did no one tell you,

An angel exists too?

To fight the villain,

To bring back the colours.

And to make the day brighter,

That's what the mirror told me like a reciter.

You're the beauty and the beast,

Rupenzel and her step mom recides within me.

I'm the witch with the broom,

And also the angel to remove the gloom.

Our life is like every fairytale,

We carry all the characters without a name.

And like always the angel marks the victory,

We just need to work on its way.