I am not a princess,

and it is not a pea under my mattress
which is causing discomfort - but seams
which irritate my skin (are seams getting rougher ?)
even when I wear my upper clothing inside out.
Age certainly does not make my skin tougher.

I disliked princesses when I was a child
and am repelled by blond hair, blue eyes,
I wanted to befriend an ogre
and worked on building up my odour.

I would never have divined
that I would become so utterly refined
that I had to protect my psoriatic skin
with seamless silk -
made from worms boiled up alive.