Princess Monotonous

I.

A fickle princess

Sat upon the throne,

Crown tilted

Jewels dulled in comparison

To smiles around.

II.

A creature of habit,

Dozing upon pedestal,

Tired of aching

Repetitive Thoughts,

With the same melody

Humming from every mouth.

III.

Her jewels lost their sparkle

And her dresses their shimmer,

Her eyes lost their gleam

And her spirit its spunk.

IV.

The Queen called court,

Laughing and joyous

As the dancers danced

The dance they had always danced

To tunes

That never changed-

V.

A forced laugh

From tight lips,

A side eye

And an adjusting hand-

Fix your crown

Fix your lips.

VI.

Days passed

With winter racing

Turning green fields

To brown,

Lively petals wilted.

VII.

A morning came

With empty throne,

No smiling

No frowning

A hollow space.

VIII.

Alarm sounded-

Searched in vain,

And found the crown

Cast upon dungeon floor

Dirt and debris

Filling cracks.

IX.

A princess fled

Castle abandoned,

For the greater world

And an enlightened voice.

X.

Distinguished views

Brought color to world

Of black and white,

And revived a garden

That had grown dormant.

Beautiful shades

Cascaded across field,

Visions never held

Within the confines

Of a stone castle.

XI.

The princess’s return home

A late reuniting

Between family and fallen-

An exchange

Of the old with new,

A new growth of idea

A wealth of difference,

With the old tune

Humming as chorus

To the new life

Of an emerging nation,

With straightened crown

And gleaming possibilities.

You can find more poetry by Katrina Thornley in her poetry collections, Arcadians: Lullaby in Nature and Arcadians: Wooden Mystics. Both available on Amazon!