Heroine

Achilles, Aeneas, Arthur
stride through their stories,
swords ready, in command.

You smile from the sidelines,
accustomed to a lesser role,
defined by eyes, lips, hair.

When, rarely, the tale is yours,
you quest through its chapters
for a man to complete you.

Stop. Write your own scenes.
Speak to the bit-part players,
the cook, the cleaning woman.

Look past stock phrases,
their rosy apple cheeks,
their work-roughened hands.

Pull up a bench by the fire.
Ask where they came from,
where they want to go.

Share food, laughter, chores.
Friendship beats courtship.
Be happy before ever after.

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Mary Soon Lee was born and raised in London, but has lived in Pittsburgh for thirty years. She is a Grand Master of the Science Fiction & Fantasy Poetry Association, and three-time winner of both the AnLab Readers' Award and the Rhysling Award. Her latest poetry book, "How to Navigate Our Universe," answers vexing questions such as "How to Surprise Saturn" and "How to Survive a Black Hole." She hides her online presence with a cryptically named website (marysoonlee.com and an equally cryptic Twitter account (@MarySoonLee).