Abbey Road

(x = space)

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Abbey Road

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Tomorrow

A service

At Westminster

The building will serve

The people will be served

With liturgical goodbyes

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I don’t know what she wrote for

Entry into Poets’ Corner

Maybe nothing

Maybe she’ll only visit there

From time to time

To listen

To the works

Or the squabbles

Among minds

(the laureates she knew

plus others)

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We may salute her

For her military service

“Princess Auto Mechanic”

And she knew her work

Dear in wartime

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Or try this—Your Majesty

Elizabeth

We hard knew ye

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C L Couch

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Photo by abdullah ali on Unsplash

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Welcome Home, Elizabeth

(x = space)

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Welcome Home, Elizabeth

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You are the queen I’ve known

Since the beginning

As far as queens are needed

You were a good one,

I suppose

The diatribes against the royals

The subject of satires

The troubles throughout empire

And empire itself

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You weathered like your namesakes

And your name become namesake

And were a person, too

The richest one

And with responsibilities

Some were known

In florid style

Cavalry and plumes

Other deeds and institutions,

Even

Remain unknown to most of us

Except the benefacting

And the benefacted

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I’m sorry that you’re gone

I suppose there’s time

For the son

And then more sons

And when shall be a queen again?

And will she be Elizabeth

For all the virtues and the flaws

Of first and second?

The queen is dead;

Long live the subjunctive queen

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C L Couch

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Photo by Jack Lucas Smith on Unsplash

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