The Fairest of Them All

I loved Hans Christian Andersen’s Fairy Tales when I was growing up. I still do. There are millions of lessons in there; and they all lived happily ever after.

The thing is when it came to girls I loved the fairest of them all. We may all pretend that fair means beautiful, but it also meant light-skinned. Try calling Naomi Campbell the fairest woman in a room full of white English gentlemen and ladies.

The point is it was not until not long ago that women of other races were allowed “beautiful” at the same level as Caucasian women. I am not exploring racialism here; just the effect of words on the subconscious mind.

So, when I was growing up, all my legendary crushes were light-skinned girls. It took my twenties to realise the big, open truth that very dark girls could be fair beautiful too.

At this point, this post could go in any of many directions, but I’ll end it here and leave it to the comments.

Ciga-Rette The Ogre (Part 6 - Final)

She turned this way, she turned that way
But, help, it did not come
She was too scared to stop and pray
Her heart beat like a drum

She worked her way to a corner
Half-willed it all to end
She wondered how they would mourn her
As she saw a paw descend

It picked her up like a pillow
And squeezed her with its claws
Bones snapped and cracked like a willow
And open came its jaws

Before Ciga-Rette could kill her
A mouse crawled 'cross its feet
It dumped her and fled like a spur
So Dora death did cheat

Ciga-Rette The Ogre (Part 5)

Mother, please open the door
Mother, please, I'm filled with dread
Mother, what (a) hideous jaw'
Ma, I'm stalked by Ciga-Rette

Let him take you, Dora
Should have stayed in like Nora
I can't open the door, ah!
For I am filled with horror

Nora, my twin, please open it
God, he reeks so dreadful
Nor' you said we'd never be split
I Swear that I'm remorseful

Let him take you, Dora
Dora, rules ignorer
I can't open the door, ah!
For I am filled with horror

Ciga-Rette The Ogre (Part 4)

Two steps and crouch, three crawls and dart
She snailed the long way home
The clouds wouldn't come slight apart
No light - not cream or chrome

She felt a presence behind her
Each time she turned to look
Not leaf nor breeze nor pall did stir
Although the ground, it shook

It was all more than she could bear
Her little heart did flee
Her legs carried her in a blur
Behind her charged a scree

She was sudd'ly among each street
And alley way she knew
Above the roofs, she saw huge feet
A giant came vaulting through

Ciga-Rette The Ogre (Part 3)

The ball was fun, the ball was fair
It should have made her merry
But being not supposed to be there
Her joy was not very

The brand new dance moves all were stepped
And new intros were made
A few hearts off their feet were swept
And Dora found a mate

But Dora, she did grow tired
She found a place to rest
Sweet sleep was now what she desired
She made a couch her nest

The loud music had stopped to play
When Dora stirred again
A vacant hall, to her dismay
Was all that did remain

Ciga-Rette The Ogre (Part 2)

Now, there was a young people's gig
At a neighbouring town hall
Once in a year and always big
It got going at nightfall

Every girl wanted to go
And every boy did too
The threat of wild Ciga-Rette though
Did leave most home and blue

Our Dora did not want to miss
The pleasures of the ball
Dance with a boy; maybe a kiss
She wanted; that was all

She hid some clothes and went to bed
Even before Nora
And when the night was still and dead
She turned a night crawler

Ciga-Rette The Ogre (Part 1)

She lived with her mother and sister
Her name, they called her Dora
In their house, there was no Mister
Just mom and twin sister Nora

Nora was quiet and timid
Never too far from home
Dora, she was intrepid
Precocious, loved to roam

Near their village lived an ogre
And its name was Ciga-Rette
Hideous, hairy in a toga
It was village people it ate

Long, long before nightfall
Young and Old rushed indoors
Windows, doors, they locked them all
As Ciga came stalking outdoors