We were raised on bedtime stories—
fairytales and capes,
women waiting, men saving,
love triumphant, monsters slain.
But no one warned us
what happens when the villains love you back,
or when the heroes look away.
1. Once Upon a Hope
“I was a little girl…”
Raised on fairy tales.
Trained to believe in love’s magic.
Expected to tame beasts and still stay soft.
Philosophical: Conditioning begins early—dreams shaped by stories not built for reality.
Psychological: The belief in rescue becomes a framework for attachment.
Social: Women are taught to wait beautifully, not break violently.
Soul: The soul twirls in silence, still hoping for the hero.
Mythic: Sleeping Beauty with no kiss. Belle without a Beast to soften.
Rhythm: Soft footsteps. Wand-light wonder.
2. The Curse That Stuck
“She gave up her voice to be seen…”
The voice wasn’t taken.
It was traded—willingly.
Because visibility felt like survival.
Philosophical: Identity is negotiated in exchange for belonging.
Psychological: Attachment becomes performative when love is conditional.
Social: The girl becomes invisible unless she’s useful, quiet, or pretty.
Soul: The soul muffled under layers of projected desire.
Mythic: The Little Mermaid, hoarse from swallowing silence.
Rhythm: Strained hush. Muffled song.
3. The Wanting
“We want to wake into that story…”
Still reaching.
Still stretching beyond the bruises,
into stars and fables.
Philosophical: Yearning is not weakness—it’s evidence of survival.
Psychological: Hope persists even when history says no.
Social: Longing is often framed as immaturity in women.
Soul: The soul still dreams, even shipwrecked.
Mythic: The girl on the magic carpet, mid-fall.
Rhythm: Rising. Star-lit. Earnest wind.
4. The Drowning
“Why must I drown each time I believe?”
Each attempt at love ends
not with joy—but with loss.
Hope becomes a wave that drags her under.
Philosophical: Repeated trauma erodes trust in longing.
Psychological: The nervous system learns to expect collapse.
Social: Romantic dreams become shameful when unmet.
Soul: The soul questions its own worth for wanting.
Mythic: Ariel choking on salt instead of singing.
Rhythm: Crashing tide. Laced with ache.
5. The Joker’s Court
“Loved and hated like Harley Quinn…”
Romantic chaos becomes identity.
Love turns violent—but still wears a grin.
Philosophical: Love becomes a theater of punishment and reward.
Psychological: The self is rewritten to survive emotional volatility.
Social: Softness is weaponized. Madness is romanticized.
Soul: The soul split between performer and prisoner.
Mythic: Harley in pigtails, holding her own ruin.
Rhythm: Erratic. Painted. Swings sharp.
6. Electra’s Legacy
“I was Electra…”
Love and vengeance intertwine.
Loyalty becomes a script of self-erasure.
Philosophical: Trauma handed down becomes identity.
Psychological: Survival requires becoming what you fear.
Social: Women are molded by men’s absence and fury.
Soul: The soul wears grief like inherited armor.
Mythic: Electra aiming her sorrow at the altar.
Rhythm: Heavy boots. War-born rhythm.
7. The Absent Heroes
“Where was Spider-Man… Captain America…”
The men are brave.
But never brave enough to stay.
Philosophical: Virtue without presence is abandonment.
Psychological: Emotional unavailability dressed in valor still wounds.
Social: Men are praised for leaving “for the greater good.”
Soul: The soul wants love, not legend.
Mythic: Hero myths that forget the girl in the rubble.
Rhythm: Pause. Ghost step. Vanishing cape.
8. Becoming the Warrior
“But me—I dream of being Wonder Woman…”
Not saved.
Not shattered.
Whole.
But still held.
Philosophical: Strength and longing do not contradict.
Psychological: Wholeness includes the right to ask for care.
Social: Women are expected to save the world, and smile through it.
Soul: The soul stands in golden boots, unashamed of desire.
Mythic: Diana, shield in one hand, heart in the other.
Rhythm: Grounded. Majestic. Full voice rising.
9. The Rebellion of Desire
“Why must my longing be laughed off…”
She doesn’t ask for perfection.
Just more than harm.
More than almost.
More than being told to shrink.
Philosophical: Longing is not naïve. It’s a sacred declaration of belief.
Psychological: Denying desire creates shame around vulnerability.
Social: Women are mocked for romantic ideals—but punished for cynicism.
Soul: The soul insists: I deserve what I hope for.
Mythic: The romantic heroine who rewrites the ending.
Rhythm: Sturdy. Unapologetic. Full flame.
Final Image
She was told to settle.
To outgrow the dream.
To laugh off the ache.
But she didn’t.
Because somewhere between Harley’s laughter
and Wonder Woman’s lasso,
between the broken glass slipper
and the sleeping curse—
she found her voice again.
And this time—
she didn’t give it up.
Closing Reflection:
This is a quiet scream from the girl still dancing in the tower,
a mirror held to the myths we swallowed,
and a manifesto for every woman
who’s been told she wanted too much
just for asking
to be safe,
seen,
and loved without breaking.
J.N. Rose 