1849 - The Queen in Exile

 

Image by ChatGPT

The Sunday Whirl presented these twelve words for us to use in a creative writing piece.  

hands brush water sparrows snake babbling slot rap piped bark exiled speech

The Queen in Exile

There is the sense of a quest—

Not a crusade, a pilgrimage.

A need to go, a need to return.

Reality—

Waiting, waiting, waiting.

Waiting for cancelled trains

Sharing the platforms

With indifferent sparrows;

The piped announcements,

Garbled, babbling in another tongue;

The words of the tracks carry her on:

Rap-rap, rap-rap, rap-rap..

Friendly people are there,

Not snakes but stakes,

They offer support, advise.

Moving place to place, 

Room to room, steep stairs.

Another bed and basin,

Somewhere to brush hair

And wash hands.  To rest.

Receptionists bark, snap;

The seeking of food, of water,

ATM slots eat the cards.

The food is expensive

Tinned fish, the best option;

Though three egg meals comfort too.

But the queen is without her court—

The missing of company,

Of speech, of sharing the trip.

“May I call you?”

Yes!

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