The Old Queen stands
Wounded with rage
Mottled spittle erupting
Her eyes blazing
Her long venerated glory
Crumpled to the dust!
Like long lost friends
Her erstwhile loyal subjects all
The creeping and the crawling
Snails, slugs, worms, maggots and caterpillars
The sneaking toads, the roaches, the lizards
Return
Only to bite
The noble flesh
Of the proffered royal hand
The crowds desert
their Old Queen
Instead gather around
A fair being
From an alien land
They are ardent, they are fervent
They are impatient
To crown this new being
Their new Queen
Their new Queen
An eager buzz goes around
And swells
The crowds shout
We - - - We - - - Us - - - All
We have stood the test
We have chosen the best
We crown Sweet Saccharine
As the New Queen
Of our nest!
She - - - She - - - She
Is the only - - - Is the only
She - - - She - - - She
Is the best - - - Is the best
She - - - She - - - She
So fair of skin
We accept as our Queen
To hell with the Old Queen!
A cry emanates
From the Old Queen’s throat
A last defiant howl
Torn from her wounded heart
Look!
Look at Me!
Can’t you see me!
Me - - - Me - - - Me - - -!
I am the best!
I am of Gold Dust
I am of the Earth
Where I was born
I am the one
I am the only
Queen
Of this land!
The crowds are deaf
To their Old Queen
Suddenly
A deafening applause ---!
The New Queen
Sweet Saccharine
In floating white gauze
Shimmering sweetly
Simpering syrupy sugary
Has ascended
The throne
Of an ancient land!
The drones, the courtiers
The hangers-on, the sycophants
The creeping crawling
Snails, slugs, worms, maggots and caterpillars
The sneaking toads, the roaches, the lizards
Her loyal subjects all
They feed her
Milk and honey
Gathered from hours
Of toil by her subjects
The inhabitants of the land
Whom she now rules
It is She
Sweet Saccharine
Who is our Queen
Her loyal sycophants howl
Victory to
the glorious
Glory to the victorious
Our one and only
Sweet Saccharine Queen
We will serve you
Milk and honey
To the last drop
The hangers-on yowl
Suddenly
A hush---!
The new Queen
Was about to speak--
Her voice sugary syrupy
Her words airy fairy
Fluttery flowery
Floating powdery puffy
Soft sweet and fluffy
She welcomes the crowd sweetly
She flashes her solar molars
She entreats her ardent soldiers
To manfully be
At her beck and call
To protect her, defend her
To feed her with the best
Milk and honey
Extracted from the land
They loved it
The drones, the sycophants
The creeping crawling
Snails, slugs, worms, maggots, caterpillars
The sneaking toads, roaches, lizards
They drank every saccharine word
In one deliciously sweet gulp –
With a ghastly gurgle (not a whimper)
But a death rattle gargle
(a croak really)
A last spewing of spittle and foam
The Old Queen’s eyes
Slowly fade
In defiant defeat
Against the tainted glare
Of the corrupted day
But even in the throes
Of death
One last hoarse
Whisper
The Old Queen
Musters
Inaudible
Except
Except
To the exceptionally
Keen—
The Old Queen says:
She with her dripping
Dubious droppings!
Fake claptrap trappings!
Spewing spurious sappings!
Lisping enchanting charming
False lofty lappings!
That phony ladylike La-di-dah
Lum-di-dum-dum-di-bum!
She, SHE, is your Queen?
Fee-Fi-Fum-Foe!
What a joke
To crown a hoax!
I’d rather choke
In my spittled foam!
Look!
Look at me!
You infantile infidels!
With your stagnant imaginations!
Can’t you see ME!
Me - - - Me - - - Me - - -!
I am of Gold Dust
I am of this Earth
Where you and I
Were born!
I am your One
One and only
Queen!
But the sycophants pay no heed
The inhabitants of the land
The toilers, the labourers
The industrious
Have been blinded
The Old Queen falls
In final defeat
The crowd gathers around
Their fallen Queen
(a primordial death ritual)
The drones, the courtiers
The hangers-on, the sycophants
The creeping crawling
Snails, slugs, worms, maggots and caterpillars
The sneaking toads, the roaches, the lizards
Her erstwhile loyal subjects all
And someone says—
I think she’s lost
Her mind ---------------!
-by Rita Putatunda
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