Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom marked her 90th
birthday on the 21st of April this year. (The Queen’s Official
Birthday celebration takes place later in the spring.) The following lines were somewhat
inspired by a vintage photograph of Queen Elizabeth and her sister Princess Margaret, taken
when they were young ladies in a costumed event.
Titled, But Unbridled
A Rhyming Reel on a Royal Ideal
There is only one
bridge that leads in and out
Of ev’ry predicament,
sole single route.
As terror or trial
brings tempers to try,
She’ll dodge disappointment,
new trail to set by.
“We trudge with no
grudge, and we beat the beasts back
That trespass the
pathways the people must track.
And though to
entitlement we may be born,
We fear not such
privilege treats us to scorn.
“Intrepid, we rise and select our best togs.
We follow our
principles, not demagogues.
Decorum may dictate
the stroll we select;
We have to be more
than the people expect.”
I cannot imagine the
pressure unseen
To keep up the
posture of princess or queen,
For she must be
anything but Philistine.
c2016 by Linda Ann Nickerson
This poem was posted for the April A to Z Blogging Challenge
and National Poetry Writing Month (NaPoWriMo), as well as these prompts:
Continue
on: First line
Daily
Post: “disappointment”
Meme
Express: “terror” and “trial”
Saturday’s
Critters: any animals
Sepia Saturday:
Young Queen Elizabeth and Princess Margaret photo
Simply Snickers: "try,” “trail” and “treat”
Image/s:
Public domain photo –
vintage image
vintage image
Feel free to follow on Google+ and Twitter. You are also
invited to join this writer's fan
page on Facebook.
