The Awakening of Briar Rose
Beneath a sky, worn thin with night,
A thorned crown glimmers,
Her slumber, a war-torn sea,
Drowned in the storm of memory.
The prince arrives,
His sword of light illuminates,
Yet her lashes never flutter,
Her breath still caught in the rift.
The battle rages,
Between what was, and what is,
Her mind a mirror, cracked,
Where ghosts flicker in the glass.
Is this the end,
Or is this just the start,
To wake, but not forget,
To reclaim a fractured heart?
As the thorns tremble,
Cracked by the roots of hope,
She rises,
No longer waiting for a prince,
A dame of her own story.
And in the breaking of that quiet,
The nightmare recedes,
Not gone, but healed in pieces,
The roses blooming beneath her feet,
A garden woven from her scars.
@ZenArashi
What a beautiful, powerful, and entrancing poem. It is wonderful and yet elicits for me a strong sadness too.
I love the way you have subverted the fable so that the protagonist is changed from the usual helpless damsel trope. Not only has she a complex internal struggle that is far removed from the simplistic purity of the traditional role of the fairy-tale female, but she also regains her agency of her own accord: "No longer waiting for a prince, a dame of her own story".
The imagery of torment, tumult, and sharp edges is contrasted by the fable aspects of the supernatural slumber. A hidden turmoil that is masked by the passive serenity of enforced sleep. The references to past and present give a tantalising glimpse of troubles and memories we cannot access, but only view remotely as we observe the recumbent Briar Rose.
The last stanza provides the brutalist reality of the fables conclusion. No happy ever after, but rather a hard won and painful awakening. Something beautiful arises that is not completely free from despair. It is a hauntingly nuanced ending.
Why it made me so sad is because it feels like this is not a fairy-tale but rather a veiled story. Perhaps I am mistakenly reading too much into it, but I got the distinct impression that this is the writers journey. Briar Rose feels like a skin put on so that 'She' can be said instead of 'I'. Certain aspects of the poem, themes, and imagery is reminiscent of the poets other works. Perhaps this could be attributed to personal style, but it felt more like a literary thumbprint. This made me feel intense empathy as such struggle is hard to view without wanting to be able to intervene.
If this is not the case, well...phew, and congratulations on being able to craft something that can evoke such strong reactions. But if it is not completely off the mark, then I hope you know you have people very much in your corner who care a great deal.
@BastionKnight
I’m grateful for your thoughtful and deeply moving feedback. It’s honestly such an honor to read your interpretation of the poem. The way you noticed the shift from the damsel in distress to a dame reclaiming her story is much appreciated.
I love that you picked up on the contrast between torment and serenity, as it’s exactly that hidden turmoil that often gets overlooked in tales of slumber. I want to evoke that beauty and despair could coexist.
Your thoughts about Briar Rose being a metaphor for the journey I’ve been on were not off the marks. Your empathy shines through and knowing that people like you are in my corner is the silver lining in my cloudscapes.
And if you’ve read too much into it, well, you’ve read all the right things. Thank you again for your incredible insights and for taking the time to share them with me!
@ZenArashi Zen, I love how you reimagine Briar Rose’s story... not as one of waiting to be saved but of finding her own strength. The way you describe her slumber as a "war-torn sea" and her mind as a "mirror cracked" makes the struggle feel so real—like healing is not just about waking up but about facing the past and choosing to move forward. And that moment when she rises? truly empowering. It’s not about a prince but about her owning her own story. The last image— roses blooming from her scars— is such a perfect way to show that healing isnt about forgetting but about growing into something even stronger. And roses are a perfect symbol for it! This poem doesn’t just tell a story... it makes you feel it.
Bastion Knight has already shared a fantastic analysis, and I couldnt have said it better myself. I'm just here to say that I am a huge fan of both Briar Rose and Zen Arashi!
@azurePond
Azure, as your fan, I’m touched by your thoughtful response! Your interpretation really captures the essence of what I wanted to convey. You see, it's not just about the external rescue, but about the internal awakening and strength that we all have within ourselves.
To me, healing is messy and complex, but also deeply transformative. We may not erase our past but we can write our current story. Thank you again for your insightful comment. ✨
@ZenArashi That means a lot to me! We are each other’s fans...! And I completely agree—healing is not about erasing the past but about reclaiming our own narrative...finding strength in the process.
Thank you for sharing your perspective—it truly resonates ✨