QE 2

Monarch. Mother. Most Admired.

QE2

I do not recall her eyes

Whether blue or green

Or iridescent gray

But she always had a

Ghost of a smile

On her kips as if

A delicious secret lurked

Somewhere behind her teeth

 

Perhaps she loved her husband

Perhaps she found a way

To serve him as well

As her country

A monarch serves ever

As much as rules

Perhaps she had no choice

Except to chose love

As well as duty

 

She was more than a series

Of elegant hats

And neurotic children

A woman in a time

When that was a

Good thing to be

Substance and valor

Grit and grace

 

How do you explain

The mystery of a

Forgotten great land

Left to smoke and hulking ruins

With a great lady that bends

But never bows

And rolls like the Channel

Lapping at her shore

 

Grief is the price you pay

For love, she told us

How indebted we are

To her now

 

-Zoe Richardson (2022)

Elizabeth Regina (1926-2022)

Author's Note

I miss this dear lady. We will never see her like again.

Reviews

[Robert Haigh]

A fine poem, written with respect and dignity. I think the late Queen effectively died of a broken heart. She clearly loved her late husband, Philip, dearly, and she was never quite the same after he died. She served her country and her subjects well. Charles will find her a very hard act to follow!

[Zoe Richardson]

I think he knows that. I just hope he doesn't dismantle the monarchy entirely. We Americans may have rebelled against the crown, but we also appreciate its role in the lives of our brothers across the pond. I am so glad you liked this poem. I hope you stop by frequently!

[Dave Brown]

this is very nicely done
I am surprised that a native of Alabama (where the heck is that?? LOL) is so inclined toward England's ex-monarch
I don't speak for all by any means but even here in Canada there is not overwhelming interest in the Royal Family and whatever interest there seems to be is because of the grub digging media who try and consistently make something out of nothing.
Ma'am

[Zoe Richardson]

Shh...you almost revealed my secret. I may live in the Southeastern United States but I am a closet Anglophile. As the for the deal old queen my admiration was for her both as a woman and as a figure on the world state. How she balanced both with grace and dignity and was never any less of a woman or a monarch. I could care less about the gossip and the doings of her kinfolk. Royal families are still families and just as dysfunctional as the rest of us!

[poetgurl (Plainly Meg)]

Such a wonderful ode, this is beautiful Zoe

[Zoe Richardson]

Aww! thank you so much. I was heartbroken at her passing. She was truly a woman I admired, and I don't admire many in the public eye.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

I think she loved him, but maybe more as a duty...
she was gracious, strong and so resilient.

[Zoe Richardson]

I think she loved him and also upheld her duty to him. The certainly found a way to make their marriage work. When your every move is scrutinized for failure, that could not have been easy!

[The Rock And Roll Cowbo..]

This is a spectaclear ode to an amazing woman. outstanding work.

[Zoe Richardson]

Bless you! I am so glad you enjoyed it. It was heartfelt and written with a true sense of loss. She will be missed.