Love Poem: Braids and Ladders
Jennifer Proxenos Avatar
Written by: Jennifer Proxenos

Braids and Ladders

Braids and Ladders

There was once a very selfish wife,
Who allowed her husband to risk his life,
Collecting Rapunzel climbing over
A witch’s wall,
Until one night the witch caught him!
How dare you, how did you have
The gall!
She promised not to hurt a hair on	
His head,
But made him a promise that she 
Would instead,
Collect their first born,
Which she duly did one morn!
Rapunzel, she called the little girl,
Who grew into a true sight to
Be seen,
So the witch locked her in a tower
Where not a solitary being,
Could enter, for there was no door
Just a window way up high
And a very high tower pointed towards 
The sky.
Rapunzel had very long blonde
Braids,
And up these braids climbed this horrible
Old witch.
Rapunzel to pass the time would sing,
And one day a prince passed, heard
A song and watched the witch cling
To long braids which reached the ground,
After she had
Whispered Rapunzel let down your hair,
Which someone from high up did with
Great flair!
One night the prince said the same,
And without a care,
Rapunzel let down her hair,
Up climbed the prince , Rapunzel
Was startled, and he, taken aback,
At such beauty, he immediately fell in love,
Proposed, Rapunzel accepted for
She instantly loved him back.
One day Rapunzel said to the witch,
You are much heavier than the prince,
You evil girl, she said, you are deceitful
And took her to a desert to weep and
Where she would never see people! 
The witch tied Rapunzel’s braids 
By the window and when the prince
Called for Rapunzel to let down her hair,
He climbed up the braids, which he didn’t
Know were now a snare!
The witch pushed him, he fell into a 
Bush with many a thorn,
And was blinded.   
He lost interest in life and wandered through
The forest, he was lost in mourn,
Finally reached the desert and heard
A familiar voice in song,
Ran towards it Rapunzel recognized
The prince and shed many a tear,
One of which, to the witches’ greatest fear, 
Fell on his eyes and delighted
He could again see,
Together they took flee,
To the Prince’s kingdom, where Rapunzel, the 
Fair beauty and the Prince married,
Not a moment wasted or tarried!


Foot Note
RAPUNZEL IS A SALAD VEGETABLE