Poem: "The Heart to Change the World"

[ysabetwordsmith]

This poem is spillover from the November 4, 2025 Poetry Fishbowl. It was inspired by prompts from siliconshaman, fuzzyred, mama_kestrel , and see_also_friend. It also fills the "Fairies" square in my 11-1-25 card for the Fairy Tales and Fantasy Stories Bingo fest. This poem has been sponsored by a pool with fuzzyred. It belongs to the Big One thread of the Polychrome Heroics series.


"The Heart to Change the World"

[Sunday, May 29, 2016]

Violanira had always been an oddball.

For a fairy, she was strangely attracted
to human science and technology,
especially now that more of it
consisted of things like plastic
and aluminum instead of cold iron.

The other fairies laughed at her
for believing in science, in numbers,
in things that remained consistent
instead of flowing with the will of
those nearby as Underhill did.

Violanira did not let them stop her,
and sought out the company of
those who shared her interests.

Her current favorite companion
was a human girl, Dreanne Ahlgren,
who at seventeen was getting a bit old
for imaginary friends and fairy tales.

But Dreanne clung just as hard
to those as Violanira did to science.

Dreanne's offerings weren't just
the usual butter and honey on a bun;
she left out white flowers dyed in
colors with capillary action and
casts of footprints from the wildlife.

Then came the earthquake that
devastated the whole West Coast.

Everything was broken, technology
crushed and ecosystems upended.

Someone needed to clean up the mess.

So the day after, Violanira went to
Dreanne and proposed a solution.

The girl was surprised to find
that her "imaginary friend" with
the crayon hair and pointed ears
was real, and so were the places
that her friend showed to her.

"Dreanne, I need your help to fix
what's broke," said Violanira.

"Why me?" said Dreanne.
"I'm just a daydreamer."

"The fairies come to those
with the heart to change
the world around them,"
Violanira explained.
"Fairy godmothers
can only do so much."

"Like granting wishes?"
Dreanne wondered.

"We each hold the power
to grant our own wishes,"
said Violanira. "We just
need to find the courage.”

"That I can do," said Dreanne.
"Where do we go from here?"

"I can grant you the gifts of
a moriko, a forest spirit,"
said Violanira. "That will
tell you what's broken
and how you can help."

"If I can use magic
as well as science,
then I can do more
than using either one
alone," said Dreanne.

"That is what I hope,"
said Violanira. "Be wary
of cultural differences."

Dreanne nodded. "I know,
people who like magic rarely
like science, and vice versa.
Almost nobody likes those of
us who combine the two --
but it's so much more useful!"

"That's my girl," Violanira said,
ruffling Dreanne's hair. "Never
let idiots stop you from expanding
your toolkit. You're going to need it."

So Dreanne took the name Dendra,
and then Violanira sent her off
to explore her new magic and
figure out how she could help in
the aftermath of the earthquake.

Then the fairy godmother drifted
along the shattered coast, seeking
others with the same potential.

Some had already awakened
on their own, while others
needed a wisp of wish magic
to become their true selves.

All along the beaches, and
in the forests, and up into
the mountains, people heard
the fey call and took up magic
to mend whatever they could.

They couldn't fix everything,
but they had the heart to change
the world, and that was enough.

* * *

Notes:

Violanira -- She has fair skin, purple eyes, and long curly hair streaked in shades of purple and turquoise. She lives on the West Coast, where she watches for people in need of help. Unlike most fairies, Violanira is fascinated by technology, science, and synthetics.
Origin: She was born a fairy, although she ascended to godmother status later.
Uniform: She wears vivid fairy garb, often in shades of purple and teal with floral patterns.
Qualities: Master (+6) Problem-Solving, Expert (+4) Emotional Intelligence, Expert (+4) Naturalistic Intelligence, Good (+2) Graceful, Good (+2) Observant, Good (+2) Rapport
Poor (-2) Fitting In
Powers: Expert (+4) Fairy Godmother
Motivation: To make the world a better place.


Dendra (Dreanne Ahlgren) -- She has pale skin, green eyes, and long wavy blonde hair. Her heritage is Scandinavian-American. She speaks English. She is 17 in 2016. Dendra grew up in Ferndale, California. She has always been dreamy, but also likes science. She enjoys fibercrafts such as sewing and felting. Dendra easily makes friends with other bohemians. She greatly prefers nature to cities.
Origin: She gained her powers from her fairy godmother after the Big One.
Uniform: She wears woodsy and fairy clothes, often in shades of green, blue, and purple.
Qualities: Good (+2) Biology, Good (+2) Bohemian Friends, Good (+2) Fibercrafter, Good (+2) Flexible, Good (+2) Naturalistic Intelligence
Poor (-2) Not a City Girl
Powers: Good (+2) Moriko
Motivation: To repair the green world.

* * *

"When I had no hope left at all that things would get better, my fairy godmother came. I wonder now if hope is the most powerful magic of all."
"Hope, and I'd add a thick skin," said Genevieve sensibly. She touched Cinderella's shoulder. "I should have guessed that you have a fairy godmother. The fairies come to those with the heart to change the world around them. You are certainly no exception, Cindergirl."
-- Elizabeth Lim, So This is Love

"It’s true, I’m incredibly lucky. But fairy godmothers can only do so much. I think we each hold the power to grant our own wishes. We just need to find the courage."
-- Lori Nelson Spielman, The Life List

Flowers can change color if placed in a vase of dyed water.