Me Through a Prism
Lyrics by Sheila Kaufman, Music by Robin Lea Fritche

Sometimes I feel like a mix of all colors
Blended together to Black,
Clothed head to toe so no one will notice me
Feelings too dark to unpack

I know inside, when all the joy flees from me
It's prob'ly born out of fear,
What if I show myself as I am
And only my critics appear?

Chorus 1:
I need to see
Me through a prism,
Each color splashed out on the wall,
The rainbow of colors I know are inside,
The ones that are hard to recall.
I need to see
Me through a prism
The light shining bright to my soul,
Each glittering ray on full display
Whenever the dark takes control.

Some days I know I'm fun and I'm talented,
At least that's what some people say,
How do I hold on to those feelings
When all of my skies have gone grey?

Chorus 2:
I need to see
Me through a prism
Each color splashed out on the wall
The rainbow of colors I know are inside
The ones that are hard to recall.
I need to see
Me through a prism
The light shining bright to my soul
Each glittering ray
On full display,
Working to get there someday.

(February 2024)

FAWM Demos 2024

Me Through a Prism

This is about Princess Rhaenys Targaryen, because she was a badass. Spoilers for season 2 of House of the Dragon

The Queen Who Never Was

The old king had lost all his sons
So a Great Council was called
To decide amongst the myriad claims
At the keep of Harrenhall

The daughter of his eldest son
Had the best claim to the throne
But Rhaenys was not a man
So she stood nearly alone

The Queen Who Never Was
A fool dubbed her that day
Her peers whispered derisively
And the smallfolk mocked her name

The Queen Who Never Was
Remained regal when the verdict came
One day the Realm would bleed because
They spurned the Queen Who Never Was

Her cousin ruled for years in peace 
But succession once again
Became a complication
In this rigid world of men

Viserys named his only child
Princess of Dragonstone
Then a second family he began
Three young sons to call his own

The Queen Who Never Was
Warned the Princess she would lose
Her father favored her, but
With his death, the Realm would choose

The Queen Who Never Was
A staunch ally she would prove
And soon the Realm would bleed because
They spurned the Queen Who Never Was

Viserys died, his widow placed
A crown on her son's head 
A true Knight helped Rhaenys escape
On her dragon's back, she fled

She flew to meet her family
And her Queen in Dragonstone
A General she became to fight 
Those poised to steal her home

The Queen Who Never Was 
Chose to honor all her oaths
To support the daughter of the King
Instead of her, enthroned

The Queen Who Never Was
A knife at usurper's throat
And how the whole Realm bleeds because
They spurned the Queen Who Never Was

Her children gone before the war 
And now a grandson slain
She flew to meet the enemy
To thwart his deadly reign

Arriving at Rook's Rest she found
Two dragons there, not one
She knew the odds, but still she charged
The King's dragon-riding sons

The Queen Who Never Was
With Melys her dragon dread
Flew into a battle when
She could have run instead

The Queen Who Never Was
For her family, she bled
And how the Realm shall weep because
They lost the Queen...

The Queen Who Never Was 
In her armor, fierce and fast
Took on two dragons with her one
Though they both breathed their last

The Queen Who Never Was
In songs lives a Queen at last
And how the Realm does weep because
They lost the Queen Who Never Was

Music & Lyrics ©2025 Robin Lea Fritche
FAWM 2025 - Song #4
Lyrics: 02 February 2025, 10:56 PM
Music: 02 February 2025, 11:25 PM

The Queen Who Never Was

This song is in response to the writing prompt "A truly impressive pile of cheese."

The Cheesiest Boy 

I shan't forget our second date
You offered me charcuterie
I expected no more than a plate
'Cause I was still naive, you see
I was met with an enormous board
With fruit and sausage, nuts and sweets
But dwarfing all these rich delights
Was a truly impressive pile of cheese


Now I am from Wisconsin, dear
Yet even so, I was surprised 
That could have fed much more than two
And to eat it all at once, unwise
You smiled and told me what was what
Varieties I had not tried
And somehow every bit of it
Was eaten by the end of the night 

You're the cheesiest boy
I ever did meet
Both in the literal sense
And the words you speak
But your puns and dad jokes
Can't compete
With your talent for providing
Impressive piles of cheese

Once, on our way to Illinois 
A pilgrimage we had to make
I'm not sure how you'd never been
The Mars Cheese Castle's your sort of place
You grew up in Chicago, and
You must have driven past in spades
When you moved up to the Upper Penn
Of Michigan for near two decades
 
We walked inside and you were lost
Your eyes grew large as saucers of milk
"Oh, hello," left your lips - I knew
You were entranced - our baskets filled
With detectables galore
"More!" you cried, lost to free will
The only question left was cost
As we gave in to our cheesy thrill

You're the cheesiest boy
I ever did meet
Both in the literal sense
And the words you speak
But your puns and dad jokes
Can't compete
With your talent for amassing
Impressive piles of cheese

I was born and raised in the Dairy State
It's expected that cheese will find my plate
I eat it practically every day
Even my cat's a cheese snob, I'd say 
But you're a man that's made for cheese
You've spent years building expertise
And I think you love it more than me 
It's fate you live here now, you see

You're the cheesiest boy
I ever did meet
Both in the literal sense
And the words you speak
But your puns and dad jokes
Can't compete
With your talent for providing
Your talent for amassing
Your talent for consuming
Impressive piles of cheese


Music & Lyrics ©2025 Robin Lea Fritche
FAWM 2025 - Song #5
03 Feb 25, 3:38 PM
(Lyrics done first, at 6:55 AM - then there was work and stuff lol)

The Cheesiest Boy

My friend Cindy wrote These gorgeous lyrics and I had to set them to music!

In Cardboard Boxes
© 2025 Cindy Prince

He died suddenly
She felt so lost
Their life together was over
Every night she turned and tossed
She moved to a senior apartment
Had help with daily chores
But she grieved so much for him
She didn't want to live anymore

Then she died suddenly
No one was surprised
Sixty years together
That now had to be downsized
There would be an estate sale
Of all their cherished things
Now it is just stuff left
Since they got their wings

Chorus
Treasures in cardboard boxes
Memories on display
His pipes and her lockets
Must be gotten out of the way
His model car collection
Her quirky cuckoo clocks
Sixty plus years of photos
For sale in a cardboard box

Bridge
They had one another, but no one else
Their only son had died young
Their lasting love was their wealth
Their lives are now past the setting sun

Many people admired them
Loved how she could sing
She was buried with one locket
And her wedding ring
Who would buy their treasures
Wonder about the couple that died?
Underneath the Pin Oak tree
They are resting side by side

Repeat chorus


FAWM 2025 - Song #31 (For Robin…like the millionth for Cindy, haha)
Lyrics: 18 Feb 25, sometime before 11 AM (CST)
Music: 18 Feb 25, 12:41 PM (CST)

In Cardboard Boxes

Everything Is Changing All the Time

I'm stuck in a rut 
And I don't know what to do 
I'm lonely and tired
But sometimes I feel inspired, too

I can't help the feeling
That my time is bleeding out 
And I'm beyond revival

It seems like everybody else
Is following a progression 
Like they all had the same handbook 
And I lost mine 
They move as if propelled
While I am in regression
Life feels much like an ambush
I guess I'll be fine
It just seems everything is changing
All the time 
Without me

My constants are stifling
And that is not a trifling thought
If only I were able
To break free from this stable rot

Pre-Cho:

Cho:

My current trajectory 
Has resulted in a sensory lull
I wonder how it feels
When one's life is really full

Pre-Cho:

Cho:


FAWM 2025 - Song #6
04 Feb 25, 3:08 pm


Everything Is Changing All The Time

Another collab with my friend Cindy!

My Sweet
© 2025 Cindy Prince

You make me silly
You make me quake
You're my Gooey Butter Cake

You make me sappy
You make me crash
You're my sinful Cherry Mash

Chorus
When you buy me Russell Stovers
I'll take you for a roll in the clover
When you get me bouquets of flowers
I will take your breath for hours
When you give me all your attention
I'll do things that I can't mention

You're my sweet
Such a treat
You're my beau
I love you so

You're my sweet
Such a treat
You're my beau
I love you so

You make me mushy
You make me sigh
You're my sweet tart Key Lime Pie

You make me giggle
You make me scream
You're my hot fudge sundae with whipped cream

Repeat chorus

You're my sweet
Such a treat
You're my beau
I love you so

You're my sweet
Such a treat
You're my beau
I love you so

Repeat chorus


Lyrics by Cindy Prince: 12 Feb 25, 1:28 PM (CST)
Music by Robin Lea Fritche: 20 Feb 25, 2:30 PM (CST)
FAWM 2025 - Song #38 (for Robin lol)


My Sweet

The Wrong Kind of Love

I grew up thinking 
There would be time 
I'd find someone
And start a life 

At some point "someday"
Turned to "clearly never"
Something's wrong with me, I guess
Expecting any better

I guess I'm out here looking 
For the wrong kind of love 
Because I'm not
Finding it anywhere 

All I've got is temporary 
Conditional, cracked up 
Transactional to the point
Where I might as well not care 

My hope's been whittled away
A little more each year 
Though love looks possible 
For other folks here 

I guess I don't inspire 
The right response 
What I've got to offer
No one wants

Cho:

Spare me your empty platitudes
I've heard them countless times
Your reasons are all faulty
I've attempted all those rhymes

You've not been where I am 
You're assuming overmuch
You can listen or just walk away
If you're uncomfortable, because...

Cho: 


FAWM 2025 - Song #42
23 Feb 25, 12:12 PM (CST)
©2025 Robin Lea Fritche


The Wrong Kind of Love

My Ginger Tabby

I've got a silly kitten 
And he's got a silly face 
And he doesn't get the concept
Of my personal space 
If I go somewhere without him 
He is crying at the door 
Like I'm the cruelest human
What would I do that for 

I've got a silly kitten 
And he's got a silly tail 
And he thrashes it about
When there's something to assail
Which is, frankly, all the time 
Like my earbuds or my purse 
Or my glasses or my yarn
Hard to say just which is worst

That's my ginger tabby
He's a funny, little dude
He's got a lot of quirks
And he can be pretty rude 
But I just love him to pieces 
He can usually make me laugh 
I don't think I could survive
This crazy world without my cat

I've got a silly kitten
And he's got a silly nose
He pokes it where he shouldn't
Not his opinion, I suppose
If he's interested in something 
He will knock it on the floor 
When I catch him in the act 
He is innocence galore

Cho:

That's my ginger tabby
I love him lots and lots
He is cuddly and naughty 
And the truest friend I've got 
Even when he tries to swipe 
My food right off my fork 
It's so hard to stay mad 
At that derpy little dork

I've got a silly kitten 
And I doubt that it's a fluke 
That he always wants attention 
When I'm trying to play my uke 
He crawls up on my chest
As I'm actively playing 
Most of the time I let him
I think that goes without saying

Cho:


FAWM 2025 - Song #47
Lyrics: 26 Feb 25, 4:01 pm (CST)
Music: 26 Feb 25, 9:05 pm (CST)

My Ginger Tabby

Collaboration with JP Salazar! 

JP: Lyrics, bass, vocals, harmonies
RobinLeaf: Music (vocal line, chords), lead vocals, ukulele, editing/mixing

All We Are

Hold my hand, hold my heart
Hold me compassionately
Understand how I think
I feel understood, finally
I know it's not easy
The trauma the scars and the fears
You'll try not to let it creep in
The heavy weight of those years

We'll travel 
We'll fall
We'll soar
We'll fall
We'll learn
We'll fall
Cause we're human
That's all we are

The sum of our lives
And the sum of our wills and 
We are
The sum of our highs
And the sum of our skills and
We are
Successes and failures
A light and a shadow 
We are
Two heartbeats in tandem
A burden and blessing somehow

Nurture me, nurture us
Hear all the words I don't speak
Acknowledge my limits
And strengthen the bits that are weak
I know it's not easy 
To say you were wrong and to change
Sojourn the unknown again 
Adapt to a world that is strange

Pre-chorus---


The sum of our lies
And the sum of our truths and
We are
The sum of our drives
The remainder of youths and 
We are
The sun that will rise 
And the setting new moon and 
We are
Two heartbeats in tandem
A burden and blessing somehow

Pre-chorus— 

It's no small task that I ask
Take me just as I am
Rip off this useless mask
Show me I'm worth a damn
Nurture who I could be
Honor my mind and soul
Gently challenge me
Desire me as a whole

Pre-chorus/outro—

Lyrics by JP Salazar: 09 Feb 25
Music by Robin Lea Fritche: 14 Feb 25
FAWM 2025 - Song #57 (for Robin, because she's crazy)

All We Are

This was written for the group writing prompt "Train Ride." I went dark with it. 

What's actually happening here? I will leave that to your own interpretation. We only know what the narrator knows.

I'm playing a Kala KA-CM-BE curly mango baritone ukulele.

The Last Train

Moonlight spills 
Through the window above 
Like silvery flashes 
Of a cold, distant love
The train track rhythm
Nearly lulls me to sleep
But I can't quite relax 
In a loneliness this deep 

Like so many, I'm huddled 
'Gainst the wall of the car 
We are used to the vibrations 
After traveling so far
We stop a couple times a day 
To relieve ourselves and stretch 
The landscape's grown more verdant
While I feel more like a wretch 

The guards are here for safety 
So we arrive unharmed
And likewise, that's the reason 
They are heavily armed
But I think...

This might be the last train
I ever ride 
I am paying close attention
As we cross the countryside 
They say our destination 
Will be a better place 
But I am savoring each moment 
Just in case
This is the last train

We left behind the devastation 
Grand cities, now debris 
This train was brought to save us
From an untouched community 
They've beds and food aplenty 
And work we can perform
We'll be there by tomorrow
We'll be safe and we'll be warm

They haven't told us all exactly 
Where we're going to stay
By now, we've left the country
I've seen no signs along the way
The others speak of hope
And dismiss my jangling nerves
I won't mind doing some work 
But still I wonder who I'll serve

I've heard the guards speaking 
In an unfamiliar tongue 
And I've noticed everyone in my train car
Is relatively young
And I think...

Cho:

I don't know what's going to happen 
It's too late to change my mind 
All I can do is watch and hope 
For happiness in what I find 
All the others are sleeping 
I alone stare at the moon 
Am I keeping watch or just paranoid
I think we'll find out soon 

Cho:



©2025 Robin Lea Fritche
16 Mar 25, 5:34 PM (CDT)

1st full song written entirely during #100DaysUke2025

The Last Train

This is the story of Echo and Narcissus. there are a lot of words and this is a demo recorded right after I wrote it, so bear that in mind LOL.

Echo

On a slow afternoon
As I bathed in a pool
The king of the gods came to me
"My lady approaches
And I'm needed elsewhere 
Keep her with you until I am free"

What was I to do 
But consent to command 
And the queen was a lovely companion
I wove for her tales
Of wonder and romance 
Resting well in the shade of a canyon

But the day grew long 
And the king of the gods 
Released me not from my duty 
The queen grew suspicious 
As I urged her to stay 
Soon her anger eclipsed her true beauty 

"Where is my husband?"
"I don't know," I said
I could see in her eyes 
That she would take my head 
And though I spoke truth 
With my sisters, she found him 
And you can't punish Zeus 
Just the servants around him 

Hera wheeled upon me
With eyes made of fire 
"I curse you for your deception
You deceived me so well 
With your honeyed tongue
To take it from you, pure perfection"

"But as I am merciful 
I shall relent
You'll retain the means to speak
But now all you can say
Are the last words you've heard
Be they good or ill, boastful or meek"

From that moment on
The choice of my words 
Fell to others, not me alone
All I could do
To convey my true heart
Was modify cadence and tone

"Poor, little Echo"
Cried my sisters as one
"Poor, little Echo"
Slipped right off my tongue 
I could only repeat 
My companions' words
They began to retreat 
Sometimes even the birds

Forlorn in the forest 
I spied a young man 
More fetching than any before him
His face was like sunlight 
His eyes were the sea 
I could not help but to adore him 

As I approached 
He asked, "Who are you?"
"Who are you? Who are you?" I responded
I tried to reach out 
He recoiled, "Keep away!"
"Keep away," I whispered, despondent

He would not let me near
Though my heart howled for his
I followed him, at a short distance 
I could only repeat
His unfriendly words 
But so beautiful was my Narcissus

Soon I became nothing
A bodiless voice
Always repeating 
The words, not my choice
Who I am matters naught
The winds carry me far
I have only my thoughts 
I can watch him from afar

One day, Nemesis
Goddess of vengeance
Made count of those my love rejected 
Some of them died
Or, like me, dissolved
While he remained blythe, unaffected 

He loved only himself
And so he was cursed 
To love only his own reflection 
He stared at his visage
For hours in a pool
And longed to touch his own perfection 

But as he reached out 
His love disappeared 
In the ripples he made with his fingers 
He withered with longing
'Til all that was left 
Was the flow'r that still by that pool lingers

Now we are both nothing 
Still pining in vain 
I watch the flower yearning 
I'd cry out in pain 
But my love makes no sound
So neither can I
My voice only resounds
When strangers walk by


Lyrics: 6/1/25 3:22 PM CDT
Music: 6/1/25 4:24 PM CDT
SAWC 2025, Song #1


RobinLeaF

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