Tuesday, November 29, 2022

ADIOS TO THE EMPRESS OF EVERYTHING OR A SMALL HISTORY OF FLOUNCING

the Empress of everything flounced away

an opening line for a folk dream or play

straight out of a grade school roundelay

I have long wanted to assay

having been cut down to ever pinking sheared smaller size

by so many Empri over a lifetime

and in a democracy, too.

The Empress flounced away

and as she did, the flounces of her

one off pinafore were flouncing too

each bead asparkle

needless to say

at tea for the day

given the Grand Tour of

her wardrobe 

you would have noted as I did too

a flouncy dress in every shade

and a flouncy brimmed hat to match

trimmed with the flounciest flowers

straight out of Walt Disney's

Alice in Wonderland.

snapdragon city.

years went by...

chapter two:

I saw the Empress waiting in line not at all

promoting herself to the front at the Fontainebleau

and airily she stepped on my unflounced shoe

with her hard as rock crystal one

some people she flouncily crooned

eyeballing me, with a flounce of

a much bejeweled hand

ring upon ring and pearlescent nails

and that was the last time before jail

I saw the Empress of Everything

zing a zing zing and the pie with blackbirds

in it,

make it into a cream pie

I told the deli

with rhubarb jelly

then proceeded to launch it

and went home to the telly.

feeling so welly.

just woken up

and out of that helly.

mary angela douglas 29 november 2022

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