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"Plus DOCS changent..."

You’ve all heard of Cinderella,
And her Godmother the fairy,
Whose kind magic could dispel a
Sorrow caused by fates contrary!
But did you ever pause to wonder
What caused poor Cinderella’s plight
And the curfew she was under
To be home by midnight?

Now, you might have supposed Godmother
With her magic arts so clever
Could devise some scheme or other
To make enchantment last for ever…
But the reason is not far to seek –
For like industry of a latter-day,
Magic only worked a six-day week,
And the ball was held on a Saturday!

So she said:
Magic doesn’t work on Sunday,
Magic whether black or white,
Though all week except that one day
My wand shines clear and bright…
But Cinders,
Though today will be a fun-day
Once the bells of midnight chime
All my spells will be on hold till Monday…
So don’t forget the time!

Yes,
You’ve all heard of Cinderella,
Learned of her when you were nippers!
Now I’m going to retell her
Tale with “Docs” and not glass slippers!
Glitter-pants and pink “Doc Martens”
Cindy’s dancing at the disco,
Just about to lose her heart ens-
Nared by Princey, the DJ from San Francisco!

Are the old taboos still binding?
Surely through the years magicians
Have applied their skills to finding
A way round ancient prohibitions?
“Docs” a-gleam and spirit singing,
Cindy wants to dance till morning…
But, alas, her mobile’s ringing,
And she hears Godmother’s warning,

Saying:
Fairies mustn’t work on Sunday,
Strasbourg’s just put out a new decree!
Every week we must rest one day -
That’s the Bill of Rights you see!
So Cindy,
Though this is your having-fun-day,
Sharp at twelve a laser satellite
Will zap my wand stone-dead till Monday…
So drop a “Doc” and run for it tonight!

Author notes

This piece was written for - and sung in -the "Doc-Martens"-sponsored slam at the Portobello Festival in 2000. (The only constraint upon entries was that they all HAD to mention Doc Martens!)

(In order not to influence your judgement, I shall not say how this entry fared in the Slam...)

For readers residing outside the European Union - please note that the European Parliament based in Strasbourg is always putting out rules and regulations interfering in our lives, including an attempt to control how many hours a week we are permitted to work!

NB For Transatlantic readers: a "mobile" is what you call a "cell-phone", and "nippers" is Estuarian-demotic for "children".

........

A contest entry

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Comments

1 - 10 of 10

  • Shya
    May 31, 2008
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    This was creative, and the rhyming was well-done. Good job... and thanks for entering!


  • kareneisenlord gold member
    March 16, 2008
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    I asked all of you for mythology with a twist, and you really socked it to me! I was very impressed by all of your entries, and many of you came up with some really unique and creative material with a different way of applying and perceiving mythology. It was enjoyable reading and I learned a lot from reading all of your fabulous writes. Because there was such an abundance of excellent entries in this contest, it was difficult to decide which ones would be the final winners. I apologize for taking so long to judge. Ultimately, I went with the material that impressed me and stuck with me the most. What had the greatest influence, insight, oversight, ambience and applied the myth/story in a thought-provoking and interesting way. The entries that were still playing through my mind and echoing with fond recollection, long after first reading them, are the ones that I finally decided upon as the winners. Objectivity in judging this contest was not my goal, but how each one of you subjectively influenced and moved me through your write. I re-read all of your writes again before my final judgment and relished it thoroughly. You are all gifted with incredible minds and talent. I wished that I could give more than one trophy in each category because certainly there was more than one that deserved it. All of you deserved an honorable mention, at the very least, and I wished I could do this and more. After the winners, the list is not in order of my favorites but most are in the chronological order as they were entered into the contest. I was glad to comment personally on each one of you. “Heading Towards Hope” - won the gold for me, because it took an uncommon theme in western mythology, deriving the story from eastern mythology, namely Hinduism. The interpretation of this, my favorite Hindu Deity, Ganesh, blew me away, and provided a step forward in my consciousness. I was awed by the profoundness, beauty and humility of this write. While many of your stories moved me deeply, this one actually shifted my consciousness. It contained both meaningful, inspirational and unique applications, written in a purity and sweetness of the heart and soul that is reflected in the words of the poet who wrote it. Gifts of the Faery, Part II I awarded Gifts of the Faery, Part II because it reached deep into my sense of profound honor and respect for Nature and all of Creation. Not only did it express stunning wisdom, but it also reflected an eloquent poetic style of it’s own. It is filled with ancient knowledge and powers that are for the Light and bringing humanity to a higher level of hope for the ultimate transformation of humankind and our Earth Mother! Lemuria's Sacred Contract - Video Slam Not only is this a beautifully written poem but it struck a chord that resonates far within the innermost essence of my being for I have always felt a special connection to Lemuria and long to be reunited with her. This is my hope for all of humanity, for “Lemuria” or the lost continent of Mu, (the motherland), is analogous with Paradise of earth. She was the original motherland of Atlantis and Egypt. They were her colonies. Lemuria sank beneath the ocean in the world‘s last great worldwide cataclysm. Mu existed in the Pacific ocean, and the Pacific islands, Easter Island and the Hawaiian Islands, are all remnants of her. This was over 20,000 years ago. Many believe that she will rise again, at least in the collective heart and soul of all humanity. This poem described my feelings in a way that I could not do much better myself - a twin reflection of my sentiments and my hope for us all of us! The Honorable mentions - I will talk about a few of them. Since I commented on all of your entries, you already know how I reacted to your work, but here are a few of the HM’s that I want to give further “honorable mention to“. I wish that I could do so for all of them, but these stood out the most in my mind. “Kalpa ” won an honorable mention because it reflected an overview of the Cosmos on a grand and astronomical scale. Not only was it eloquently written, but it impressed me with the deeper wisdom and perspective that was reflected therein, by giving one of the most developed and accurate views of the creation of the universe(s) and the dissolution that occurs over and over. It is the Hindu creation myth, that more and more, fits into the most advanced theories of physics and astronomy, (and the Vedic people came to this conclusion thousands of years ago, through spiritual practices!) Orphee's Heartstrings - expressed the pain and suffering of Orpheus so well. wow how in the world did i come up with this??? Very clever imagery and it was refreshingly spontaneous. Sacrifice with Creation - The ancient myth of a god sacrificing himself for the benefit of humanity carried forward to humanity helping humanity! Gasping - Had beautiful imagery and it reflected the tragic fate of both Narcissus and Echo in such a haunting way Lost Messiah - struck a chord with me, because it bravely stated how the most important messages of Jesus have been lost, to love ourselves and one another. I think Jesus is quoted to have said, “…love your neighbor as yourself,” among many other references to love. Another one is, “…love the Lord your God with all your heart…” Lucifer’s Sword - was another really courageous write in that it gave the perspective of the necessity of evil and the role of opposites. Untitled - was fresh and different. I was hoping that someone would write something based on Chinese legend and mythology. It is beautiful, rich, varied and ancient. This was a good job at tackling this creation myth. Poisoned Prophesies - impressed me because it expressed the dilemma of a seer. ..With a flying centaur... An exciting and enchanting poem about a mythological creature with wings taking one everywhere and anywhere in the Universe. The Reflection Looks Back - Was a wonderful interpretation of the Narcissus Myth. Star Garden - Thought-provoking with a lovely play on words. Nyquil Dreams - Because who is to say what is the true reality? "Plus DOCS changent..." - Another great play and twist on the age-old Cinderella story, told from the view point of the Fairy God Mother. Very clever and fun! Rick Rubens, Prometheus - I liked this one because it was clever and portrays modern day fire-givers. I could go on and on - and I wish that I could recap all of the entries which I have read over and relished. You were all great and like I said, you all deserved a trophy; every one of you! Thank you for putting all of your creative minds here in the contest for me to savor. All of you is exquisitely and uniquely talented. Keep writing and thinking because not only are you people good poets, many of you are amazing philosophers as well. That means, that you are seekers of the truth. That is what a philosopher does. Blessings!


  • The Green Elf
    March 14, 2008

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    i loved this poem!!!! you have a good chance of gold! keep writing poems as awesome as these!!!!!!

  • kareneisenlord gold member
    February 23, 2008

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    I really had fun reading this well-known fairy tale with a twist. The wit and humor was very clever. I thought, every young girl should abide by these rules! (Home by midnight Saturday night, because the magic and protection of Fairy Godmother is no longer on the job until Monday). I liked how you placed it in the present day, with the mobile phone.

    The last stanza pulled it all together;

    "Fairies mustn’t work on Sunday,
    Strasbourg’s just put out a new decree!
    Every week we must rest one day -
    That’s the Bill of Rights you see!
    So Cindy,
    Though this is your having-fun-day,
    Sharp at twelve a laser satellite
    Will zap my wand stone-dead till Monday…
    So drop a “Doc” and run for it tonight!"

    This was really cute and I enjoyed the background information in you Author's Notes. It will be well worth it coming back for another reading of your write in the near future! Thank you for entering this in the contest and best of luck to you!


  • JustBeingDevine
    November 20, 2007
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    This was cute

    I enjoyed this very much. What a cute twist! Thanks for entering and good luck!


  • lucy sky-diamond
    June 11, 2007

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    lol very good, very funny indeed, made me lauh out loud
    great write, best of luck in the contest
    lucy


  • poettrical
    June 3, 2007

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    lol do I smell political commentary? Finally someone's explained why magic stops working at midnight! Great rhyming too - I loved the Docs!


  • tarnishedheart
    April 5, 2006
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    This was really cool, I liked the unique style. I really enjoyed reading it, thank you for entering!


  • Shanny Snyder
    February 16, 2006
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    i really liked the story and how you put a twist on an old tale. I dont believe that i need to know how you faired. it shows through your poem.


  • chills gold member
    February 10, 2006
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    I laughed at this. I have a teenage daughter and a live in 'guest girly' (son's girl friend) and I have to tell you that my poor overworked wand does operate on a Sunday - in the form of a fairy taxi!! I'll be the one turning into a wrinkled old pumpkin at this rate......!

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