I am building a tower, stone by stone, a tower in the woods as high as it can be. I am building a tower without a door, to hide away and run away and never be found. I will fill it with everything beautiful, soft cushions, velvet gowns, books and paints and embroidery silk. It will be my tower with only one window that looks out to the sunrise and the birds. Away from the town with its ugly people and their bitter, sneering faces. The Men with their beady, wanting eyes, the Women with their jealous, pouting lips, the Children with whom I can no longer dance.
I am safe in my tower, it lets me forget. The smooth cold stone is my friend, it is peace and silence and strength. The birds are my friends also, I feed them crumbs of bread and seeds so they visit me at my window. Mother brings me fruits in a little basket, ties it to a golden rope so I may draw it up. Plums and pears and blueberries wild. I love sweet things, she knows this. Dear Mother who can not understand why I am here, but who brings me everything I need.
Here I belong to no one and nothing. I can lose myself in the pages of books, in the threads of tapestry and be whoever I dream of. My dreams are long, often they last all day. I imagine I see a Prince on a white horse beneath the tower. This pleases me, as he is only a dream. I forget many things, I forget what is real and what is not. I have friends that I can not see. They dance in a circle about my tower and play honey sweet music that lulls me to sleep. In the morning they have disappeared beneath the hill.
There are monsters too. They come in the night, when there are no stars and no moon to laugh with me. I cover my face with the blankets and sing little songs to block out their howls and their cries and in the morning they are gone and again there is Mother with the fruit and the birdsong.
Now there is a Man in the forest of my Tower. He is dark and bearded and real, not like the shining knight of my dream. Come down he calls, and sings of love, strumming poorly on a wooden instrument. I take a pair of scissors, bright, and cut the golden rope. I want only to be free, it is all I want and yet they do not understand that I can only be free here, locked in my tower. My mouth tastes bitter, like parsley.
July 20, 2009
37 responses to Persinette
This is absolutely lovely. You write beautifully. It also helps that fairy tales happen to be my favorite. :)
Thank you. Fairy tales are my favourite too.
This is beautifully written, and raised many thoughts and questions in my mind. The sense of her comfort in a self-imposed solitude was especially poignant, and the vision of those nighttime monsters was rich with mystery. Also the image that you chose is stunning … who painted it?
I love it when I read something that causes me to look up and search for meanings and roots. This time, I searched for what lies behind the name Persinette (a new one to me), and down one thread I found the the 17th-century novelist and poet Charlotte-Rose de Caumont La Force, whose “Histoire de Marguerite de Valois, reine de Navarre” I am certain I have seen somewhere! Oh, I must look at it again, and read more about La Force … this is just wonderful!
As you can see, your entry stimulated intellectual musings in some of you readers … thanks! :)
Thank you. I wrote this after reading Zel by Donna Jo Napoli and researching the origins of the Rapunzel tale. I quite liked La Force’s version, however I also wondered if maybe Persinette had her own reasons for being up in that tower.
I find it so refreshing when the heroine’s strong sense of independence and powerful voice are reawakened in these archetypal fairy tales. And I have always thought of it as a reawakening, rather than a modern interpretation, because I think the feminine voices have always been there, but so often have been interpreted in ways that cloak their power. Well done on this interpretation … you definitely listened to her voice, and in turn let us hear it too!!
Oh, and the painter is unknown. The artwork is on SurLaLune from an old book.
I always enjoy your different takes on fairy tales a lot, Skye, thank you for sharing them.
Thank you for reading them <3
I have no words…
What you have written here; it has struck a chord with me. I may have to email you soon. I think I require some assistance sorting out my thoughts~
I’ll look out for your email then.
<3
I love Persinette’s strength … she truly knows herself.
She chooses to be alone, not to find herself, but to be herself – that’s powerful!
I think she is strong in some ways, but weak in others. It takes more courage to face the world than to hide from it.
Do you think she’ll ever leave her tower? I’d love to read about it if she ever does :)
This fairy tale is lovely…I wish to go join Persinette, do you think she’d let me in if I brought fairy cakes and milk?
x Rosebud
fairy cakes and milk?now you’ve made me hungry.
She might, but you’d have a hard time getting up there I think.
Oh no, I’d have the Northern Wind blow me up. =)
ooo what a nice story!it would be nice to have a little place of your own like that, it would be fun to dance and to play with persinette.
Thank you again, Skye, for this lovely reimagining of a classic tale. I’m quite tempted to build a tower of my own sometimes!
That is simply beautiful. You are an amazing writer, and so realistic. Not that fairy tales, though beautiful, are realistic, but the feelings you convey are.
It kind of makes me want to build a tower, but with a door. The doors would be at the very top and out of sight. It would take someone truly in love and who truly cares to take the time to find it.
Al in all, thank you for sharing such beautiful work with us. I know everyone who’s read it has enjoyed it greatly. :)
I really like your idea. I think mine would have a door too, hidden behind lots of ivy, so only those that look close enough may find it.
Skye,
My goodness, this is lovely. I envy your writting; could you teach me sometime, how to be a better author or storyteller? How to write lovely works like this?
I know I’ve asked before of your plans for the future and if they include photography or modeling. Quite frankly, I beleive you should be famous some day. Maybe for your writing, or for your beauty, or for your photography.
I’ve quite often wondered how you are able to come on here, and just write, and take everyone who reads your tales, works, and daily posts off to a land where everything seems perfectly in place.
A place far off from here.
I’ve wondered how you cope with hard times, how you can loose yourself in so many things. How you can give anyone inspiration.
But there I go. Again. I’ll stop filling your head with terrible things. Once more, lovely work, Skye. Simply lovely.
Lost in Rants,
Morgan
My writing still needs a lot of practise and refining. The only things I can suggest are to read lots and write lots.
I don’t believe that fairy tales are perfect lands though, there is a lot of pain and suffering there too. I think they teach us about hope, and that is something that I always try to hold on to.
Thank you for your lovely comment <3
If you say so; I think it’s perfect. Never the less, do you have any suggestions for books? Preferable none that are writtin in old English, as they make me dizzy. @_@
I suppose not. But most have happy endings, right? And, as you said, they do teach us about hope. <3
Still lost in rants,
Morgan
oh yes!!teach me to wirte like you as well!that’d be wonderful
how beautiful! i really love it
Ha, sorry to comment again. I just noticed I misspelled my website on the last comment.
I wish I were like Persinette , to build my own tower and being by myself surrounded for everything I like and love.
This story is one of the best I have ever read. You are truly an amazing writer, and because of this, a great role model.
Ha I missed your latest post again!
I looked at the picture and tries to convince myself that it iwas rapunzel but u post it with ‘Persinette’.
Somehow among your words, I feel bitterness…
I wonder what you are trying to metaphor skylark…
I always love a story that looks soft but indeed requires you to think deeper than its surface…
But if Persinette cut her golden rope, her Mother must be very sad…
Aww…I love your little fairy tale posts! So cute and they never cease to brighten my day!
xoxo,
Micaela
~*~*~A charming, sweet tale! Lovely writing Skyelark. Have u ever read Francesca Lia Block’s “the rose and the beast”? I recommend it. Wishing you forever light, love and enchantments. xx
So lovely! And very interesting… I’ve never read a version of ‘Rapunzel’ where her name is Persinette. Her idea of shutting herself off in a beautiful world of her own is a wonderful thought, but I do agree with your earlier comment that sometimes it takes more courage to face the world, than to hide from it.
We can probably learn from that… instead of trying to hide, we should make the best and see the beautiful in the hardships and pain of the world.
I also agree with the earlier comments of Raelynn and yourself… I’d have a hidden door too, one that could only be found by the hardest of searching, but it would have a key that I’d bestow only on one who gained my complete love and trust, as well as loved me so much as to find that door. :)
I love the story. Poor Persinette…. I empathise completely with her last thoughts!
I need a tower like this, a shelter where I can hide for all the bad things and feelings and people outside. I know I shouldn’t run from reality, but sometimes oblivion is all I crave.
This was wonderfully written, bluebird.
I love your takes on fairy tales. You have such a way with making things even more dream like than they are already. This is probably my favorite fairy tale that you’ve posted.
Would you consider perhaps writing a version of the Sleeping Beauty? That would be lovely, too. Just like you, your Highness! =)
Hello Skylark.
What you have written is really beautiful. I’m also a writer and I’m currently on a project with fairy tails, translating them into Spanish, since most of them are not well translated… Anyway, dear friend… I will like your pemition to include your very well done writing posted here in my project. If you agree, I will translate it and include it, giving you the due credit, of course! Please write me to my personal email included with this message. Thanks! Blessings and success!
Gisela Echeverria
Charlotte-Rose de Caumont de La Force. That’s all I’m saying.