This Castle Is a Charnel House
the queen of hearts
prepares her death nest,
calling upon names
etched in a bedside table,
dream notes carved
into an antique,
marring it unforgettable
every sunbeam covers her
in barbed body armor,
crown of nettles burrowing
into a creased forehead,
marks of the years, brittle
from all the shuffling
scarring her once stoic face
cards of defeat lie upon
her desk, face up, well-
wishes sprinkled amongst
dried flowers & practitioners’
names, a puzzle she’ll never
piece together because
there is no time left for planning
ahead or otherwise, a head
of household, matriarchal
moon, too tired to rule
wants only to lie down
with knaves & spades
of bygone memories
while the king looks on
forlorn & helpless, scepter
rusted with tears, he’s
saying goodbye with silence;
she can’t look at him, her luck
of the draw, an ace amongst
jokers, her companion,
well-suited & strong
night is falling & stars
begin rehearsing her requiem,
they’ll sing her to her final
sleep someday & she is nearly
ready, a few more feathers,
twigs, & good days to pillow
her body so the shedding
of everything can begin
Wow, Jennifer! So cool and so incredibly crafted! Truly love this one! 👏😲
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Thank you 💜
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P.S. ❤️🤗❤️ for yesterday’s post. (It would only let me leave a star instead of a genuine heart.)
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❤
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I hate violating your intentionally-closed comments, but if I were there and your door was locked, I’d slip my single paper heart underneath. ❤️
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It’s ok! Sometimes I just forget to turn them on.
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You definitely have dark writing for a happy person lol!
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Releasing it is a tool for survival.
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In that case carry on. 👍🤜
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i say “Queen” to this in every way. 💜
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Ha ha. Thanks. 💜👸🏼
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Wow. I’m curious— did a deck of cards really inspire this?
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Not exactly. 😊 It’s actually kind of funny. I was watching that show When Calls the Heart & the saloon is named “Queen of Hearts”. I saw the sign & the first line jumped in my head. The rest just came once I wrote it down. The poem has nothing to do with the show though. 🙂
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Truly, inspiration strikes when you least expect it.
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💖 Such beauty you hew from the rockface of pain 🤗
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❤ you Monty
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Fantastic!
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Thanks so much ❤
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Very well written👌🏻
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Thank you 🙂
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Most welcome
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Always welcome
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