The girl hums happily, stitching the ragdoll back together.
Spools and needles lay around her, ready as ever.

Every morning she threads a needle and stuffs back the cotton.
Smiling to herself whilst looping the pretty buttons.

Each night is the same as the young girl sleeps.
The ragdoll awakens and from the bed she leaps.

She tears at her stitching and yanks out the cotton.
Pulls her limbs away and prays to lay there forgotten.

But the girl never forgets and at every dawn,
gathers the doll up with a smile and a yawn.

''Oh ragdoll, every night you do the same thing.
Tear yourself up limb from limb.

You don't think you're special or worthy or loved.
At the bottom of every pile of dolls, you've been shoved.

But I will keep stitching you back up until you see,
just how much you really mean to me.'

As we drank the wine fast, our tongues untied.
Truth crept among us like an icy dawn.
Siblings remembered; through memories cried.
A glimpse of a bond with loyalty sworn.

A compliment rejected; moods now changed.
The barrier was raised and weapons drawn.
The three, little words thrown into exchange.
Through bitterness she moved the final pawn.

In doing so, she cut their final link.
His submission affirmed her icy hate.
The sister had lost, fallen at the brink.
The wife had won, through him she would dictate.

Sadness has fallen; a snowflake on ice.
Unbreakable bond broken, at what price?

The King nor the Queen
wanted the crown.
Too heavy to bear,
it dragged them both down.

The King wanted to drink
and party with his men.
The Queen couldn't manage
and wanted a friend.

The oldest princess
wanted love and money.
To sell the crown
and find a honey.

The youngest princess
was eratic and cold.
She hated the kingdom
but loved the control.

They bickered and squabbled
so no one did see.
The middle princess
picked it up so gingerly.

She placed it on
Her Royal, fair head.
She managed to stand
with courage and said...

'I will wear the crown
that you've all cast.
To protect our kingdom
and serve as asked.'

They all stopped talking
and quick as a gun,
turned their back on her
and continued their fun.

The King kept on drinking.
The Queen hid away.
The oldest spent her inheritance.
The youngest plotted and played.

All the while she fought there.
Defending the walls.
Fighting for their safety,
Pledging allegiance to them all.

The youngest became jealous
Of this brave new Queen.
She unleashed her rage
And beat her senselessly.

No one did anything.
The Queen looked away.
Nothing in it for the eldest.
The King stood & swayed.

Yet here she was alone,
Crying in the crown.
Unprotected and alone.
Slowly sinking down.

The eldest took her energy.
The Queen gave no hope.
The King let her down.
The youngest gave her a rope.

So she hung herself and died,
As they continued on.
Her absence went unnoticed
As their kingdom lived on.

The white rabbit leads me silently
I follow her dutifully blind
She's all I've ever known in this life
No lost world left behind

The caterpillar won't help me
Surrounds me in thick, grey smoke
Cocooned in itself as always
The truth it always cloaks

The hatter dances to no music
With the mad March hare
Intoxicated on more than tea
Through me the hatter does stare

The Cheshire Cat is plotting revenge
Grinning high up in his tree
Watching my every movement made
He's hiding the only key

The Queen of hearts just hates me
With all of her strength and might
No reasoning will soothe her
All she does is done in spite

This is no Wonderland here
No wonder to be held at all
I scrabble in the darkness to find it
The key to the only door

Dreaming in colour
Awakened by grey
Drunk in acid green
He called my name

Dragged me blindly
Consciousness like fog
Eyes scanning the darkness
His intent clear through smog

My mind sensed danger
A light switched off and on
Passed out, tuned in
My innocence had gone

Chewed up and spat out
My use was done
Pushed me back to my bed
A victory he had won

Years flashed by
The memory was shunned
Swimming in dirt
Unable to love

Then I dreamt in colour
Remembered the grey
Flashes of acid green
I spoke his name

Born in a spiders web
So silky and neat
Spreading over her crown
To her tiny, pink feet

A family of spiders
Scuttled and stalked
Weaving their way
Through dust and chalk

As the baby grew
The web threatened to break
But they repaired and spun
Around her like snakes

She was different to them
So innocent and pure
They tried to trap her spirit
With lies, secrets and lures

The child, now a teen
Succumb to their ways
Her truth unspoken
The web's now a maze

She knew no love
No heart or care
Just lies and jealousy
A world of traps and snares

Through the tunnel she shuffled
In front of her stood
A girl just like her
Someone she understood

This girl smiled and unwrapped her
From many years of web
From her bare, mucky feet
To the top of her head

What freedom she felt!
She smiled and laughed
It echoed in bright lights
Through the tunnels and shafts

The spiders squealed in the light
Angry and eight eyes blind
They could no longer contain her
No longer bind

The girls escaped together
Hands held and then she knew
This was all I ever needed
Love from me to you

Palms sweating on the steering wheel
I try to chat
Hold on tightly
I look ahead
Red lorry, yellow lorry
My breath catches in my throat as we approach the bridge
Parallel lines pass me by
Don't look
I know how high up I am
If I wanted, I could drive off this bridge...
With one...
Lines
Flick...
Lines
Of my wrist.
My stomach rises and drops too fast
I feel like I'm falling
Releasing dread and panic
Adrenaline and tears
She gets angry but tries to calm me down
Down from the bridge
Get down
Fall off
Fall off the Earth
Be ****** out
No gravity
Oh God, no gravity
I try to breathe
I breathe
I breathe
Hold on tightly
We're off the bridge
I try to chat
Palms sweating on the steering wheel