The Beast and I by Rochelle M. Andersen

A large tree in the middle of green woodland. Large white text reads: The Beast and I. Smaller text reads: Discussing disability in fairy tales and folklore.

The Beast lived in a grand, old castle, while
many animal servants scurried around.
He was presumed feeble-minded because
he could barely talk, his body grotesque.
At the end of the fairytale, the Beast becomes
a handsome prince again, able to profess his
love. All lived happily ever after.
Our experiences mirror one another.
A severe stroke sewed my mouth shut, and
handcuffed me in a hospital prison for months.
Others assume I am simple-minded because
aphasia scrambles my words, and my right
side is broken and disfigured. Unfortunately,
my progress is on a treadmill, never moving
forward. Roadblocks remain.
There is no happy ending.

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About the author:
Rochelle M. Anderson lives in Minnesota, USA. She is an attorney who had a severe stroke in
2007 and almost died. She is still disabled with difficulty walking, and because of aphasia
struggles with reading and writing. Ms. Anderson is the author of Stormy Road: Reawakening
from Stroke and Aphasia. She has been published in four chapbooks, and several online and
written poetry collections. Writing poetry has helped her recover, and dictation fuels her words.