Tiger in Her Den
the monsters of adulthood. the stories of childhood. which one matters? which one is you?
I look in the mirror and a monster looks back at me
She grins, running her thick tongue over her sharpened teeth
Sharpened specially for them
The others
Outside of the mirror
Sharpened for herself
Make the scars clearer
Always different, never afraid to bite
Who would she be, if she couldn't fight?
The monster knows what she is
A vessel of anger
An embodiment of abuse
Nothing but a sleeping dragon
Fueled by fire, fueled by liars
Nothing but the fragments glued together
Using blood from other people’s teeth
Veins spilling, she'll give love a pass
She grows her wings, tilts her horns, scrapes her nails against the cracking glass
That is what I see
I’ve created so many monsters at the age of twenty
I look in the mirror and a little yellow-haired girl looks back at me
She smiles, showing her crooked baby teeth
She won’t pull on the loose one
She doesn’t like to see blood
The little girl knows herself well enough
The boyish clothes would never change
She could run, she could chase
Her favourite place to play, the dying apple tree
Her favourite place to hide, the den where she was stung by a bee
Her favourite colour, the red of her bedroom wall
Her favourite story, skeleton detectives standing tall
Always different, never afraid to fall
She is a rockstar
An adventurer
A writer
A tiger
A fighter
A racer
A dragon-slayer
Nothing but the fragments of words picked up by her favourite books
Is this what she will be when she grows up?
Nothing but a person built from the tiger cub
When her teeth aren’t crooked
When her teeth are fully grown
That is what I used to see
Worlds filled with possibilities
Eyes in the mirror creating them vividly
My horns and wings shrink in
The darkness begins to dwindle
She climbs her way to the front
Knowing this is who she truly is
That is what I see
A heart bursting with stories, love and light
Her laugh, a sun shining bright
Why hide her away?
The girl who stands in my memory
Waiting to tell you about her dreams
Who she'd like to be (it can be anything, truly)
The tiger in her den
I’ve created so many places at the age of ten
The monster would give anything to be there again.
That is what she is
Created by her own pen
About the Creator
Essie
Brambling, atypical logorrhoea that really materialise in the form of hatching worms. Or stars.
21
Reader insights
Outstanding
Excellent work. Looking forward to reading more!
Top insights
Heartfelt and relatable
The story invoked strong personal emotions
On-point and relevant
Writing reflected the title & theme
Bruce Lee and The God of War: Kuan Ti
It starts with love.. The Power to the God Of War and Wealth Walk into a Chinese restaurant (even in Oklahoma, USA), a Chinese police station, a kung fu martial arts studio or even a Chinese temple and you often see a red faced warrior holding a heavy quan-do (spear like weapon).
By WILD WAYNE : The Dragon King7 days ago in Chapters
Comments (17)
Brilliant!
This is very powerful. Congratulations on top story.
To sum it all up, youuuuu are a star👏🏾🤗this was so beautiful!!!💗 Congratulations on top story, soo well deserved
you are such an evocative writer who seems to put it all out there! this was sad, looking back and thinking of the younger you, unburdened by... life! also empowering and inspirational because you realise she is still in there! congrats on a well deserved Top Story!
Your poem is a beautiful exploration of identity, inner conflict, and self-discovery. The contrast between the monster and the little girl creates a powerful narrative that reflects the journey of understanding and embracing one's true self. It's deeply evocative and wonderfully written.
Congrats on top story…
awesome work.congratulations :-)
Back to say congratulations on your Top Story! 🎉💖🎊🎉💖🎊
This finishes with such a creepy note. Beautiful job!
This hit deep—so powerful and haunting, yet filled with so much hope. The contrast between past and present, the battle between the monster and the dreamer, it all weaves together so beautifully. I love how the ending ties it all back to creation. Absolutely stunning!"
Excellent
Nice job :)
congratulations on your TS achievement. this is so brilliantly written. When I was little, I wanted to be a ballerina, singer, actor, nurse, join the Navy and become a top ranking officer. I eventually cast them aside and became a wife, mother, and writer who dabbles in photography. The only occupation that made me rich was motherhood, even though those riches were only in love and not money. At my old age, I still have my fantasies, but I also have no regrets.
Absolutely beautiful poem. Well Done.
This is such a raw and powerful reflection on identity, transformation, and reclaiming one's true self. I love the line "The tiger in her den," symbolizing strength and resilience. Such a deep, layered piece!
This was extremely relatable! Red is my favorite colour too and I loved blood, lol! I resonated so deeply with your poem!
The pen is mightier than the sword. Lovely poem. Rather empowering, in a way.