Origin Story

My lips were chapped,
holding back
words I couldn’t know.

But it didn’t matter,
because my eyes still saw

that girl with a sword
who held the key to saving herself.

The heroine of the OG shojo anime, Princess Sapphire, aka Princess Knight.



Liner Notes for This Groove: This poem was created for the Weekly Scribblings post at Poets and Storytellers United, Kid Stuff. I chose to write about the TV show that made me an anime fan. Aspects of it haven't aged well (oof, the dubbing... the dubbing) but little Rommy could not get enough of the swashbuckling princess. 
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32 comments:

  1. Rosemary Nissen-WadeOctober 27, 2021 at 12:18 AM

    Oh, how I would have liked a swashbuckling princess, when I was a little girl in an earlier era. I had to imagine myself as D'Artagnan or Robin Hood instead. (Or lady villains – but although proactive, and brave in their own way, they were usually too nasty to suit. I wanted to be a hero.)

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    1. RommyOctober 27, 2021 at 7:47 AM

      Robin Hood and D'Artagnan were favorites of mine too!

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  2. Debra She Who SeeksOctober 27, 2021 at 8:48 AM

    Long may your buckle swash, Rommy!

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  3. indybevOctober 27, 2021 at 11:57 AM

    I always wsanted to know a swashbuckling princess. Happy to meet you, Rommy!!

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  4. LisaOctober 27, 2021 at 12:16 PM

    A nice thing for a girl to know, that she can save herself. The stories of Robin Hood and Captain Blood are so much more thrilling than waiting for a prince.

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    1. RommyOctober 27, 2021 at 4:47 PM

      I feel like I might want to search out those Hollywood classics too, while I'm indulging in a walk down memory lane.

      Delete
  5. HelenOctober 27, 2021 at 2:24 PM

    What a great role model for young Rommy ... for any little tyke. Cheers, I loved reading this.

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  6. JimOctober 27, 2021 at 6:46 PM

    Oh for the sake of Rommy, a neat one to remember as you former love. We didn't have TV so I had none there for an idol. Probably it was my Aunt's cousin, Bob, who took me for a ride on his motorcycle. I finally got one after my divorce, during my wild days back in 1971.
    ..

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    1. RommyOctober 28, 2021 at 3:14 PM

      I rode on a motorcycle once and got a nasty burn on my leg for my trouble. I'm leery of getting on one again.

      Delete
  7. Magaly GuerreroOctober 27, 2021 at 7:57 PM

    I love, love, LOVE this one! Isn't it wonderful how, as children, we feel what could be (and often must be) even if we can't explain the why or how? Thank goodness for the characters that offer us a glimpse into ourselves.

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    1. RommyOctober 28, 2021 at 3:17 PM

      I think fiction can act as both a stage and a mirror, allow us to try on certain personas as we get invested in the story and then reflect on how well that suits us. Terrible dubbing and dated perspectives aside, there was quite a bit to play dress up with in that show for me.

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  8. rudraprayagaOctober 28, 2021 at 2:31 AM

    short and sweet. Lovely.

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  9. Gillena CoxOctober 28, 2021 at 4:32 PM

    Oh that reminds me of my comic books stage i loved the superheroine Isis

    Much💜love

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  10. Joel (@Stranded Tree)October 30, 2021 at 12:57 AM

    I never heard of this and had to look it up but this is interesting. It's great that something created in another culture inspires a young person. Hmmm...

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    1. RommyOctober 31, 2021 at 8:13 AM

      LOL, it's very old-school nerdiness. I'm not sure if it's older than Speed Racer, but the dubbing is a bit worse. :D

      Delete
  11. purplepeninportland.comOctober 30, 2021 at 9:02 PM

    I really enjoyed reading this!

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  12. grapelingOctober 31, 2021 at 3:30 AM

    killer opening stanze, and I like the idea of sword as key ~

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  13. dsnake1October 31, 2021 at 8:34 AM

    Well, as a child, (there wasn't much TV & no social media then) my heroes were the Chinese martial arts masters. Later, Robin Hood was cool. I got into anime quite late, watching with my daughter. I was looking at the artwork, as each show can have very different styles. Nowadays, some anime are not really for children, like Psycho-pass or Persona 5. Beautiful artwork, great storyline, but plenty of violence. The anime features of Studio Ghibli (think Spirited Away, Totoro) are wonderful for children and adults.

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    1. RommyNovember 1, 2021 at 5:10 PM

      There've been some rather adult oriented anime since at least the late 80's, early 90's. Back in the day, it was easy to stumble across stuff like that at a con, especially the hyper-violent stuff. Even then I always said that saying you liked anime is like saying you liked movies. The Wizard of Oz is a movie. And so is A Clockwork Orange. LOL, I definitely gravitate towards shojo stuff, some shonen too.

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  14. Ornery Owl of Naughty Netherworld Press and Readers Roost October 31, 2021 at 11:04 AM

    I love it! I wish I'd heard more stories with girls being their own heroes rather than relying on some prince to rescue them. It would have made all the difference.

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  15. phillip woodruff (jalopy dreams)October 31, 2021 at 11:20 AM

    "that girl with a sword
    who held the key to saving herself."

    short and succinct, every line a powerful punch, and those last lines, a complete knockout. what was the name of that show? was it called princess knight? i will have to look that up

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    1. RommyNovember 1, 2021 at 5:11 PM

      Yep, Princess Knight or Ribon no Kishi. I must warn you though, the dubbing is hysterically bad. I really wish I could get a hold of the original Japanese with subtitles.

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  16. Khaya RonkainenNovember 2, 2021 at 1:34 AM

    A short and sweet poem. Here's to the swashbuckling princess...and adventures!

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  17. Laura MorriganNovember 7, 2021 at 1:08 AM

    Yessss!

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