Honing the Craft

A Queen Has Passed This Way

A Queen has Passed This Way

A Ping!
A glance at my phone
and a tear slid
involuntarily from my eye,
a weight pressed
upon my chest.

A woman I have never met
yet, over decades
has touched me
through her regal,
unwavering devotion
to her people and her kingdom,
         has died.

Her long reign
through prosperity, wars,
and a world on the brink
was met with her stoic
perseverance, generosity, and grace.

A queen in spirit and ascension,
displayed to the world
what dignity and honor
should look like.
                   ~~Judi Van Gorder

Free Verse: 22 lines

Notes ▼

Thank you and Rest in Peace
Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor,
Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom.


Born of a King, this royal princess was not expected to rule. Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor,
was third in line for the throne. Young "Lilabet" was raised to be a royal without the burden of the throne. Ever conscious of her status, she comported her speech and behavior accordingly. She reigned for 70 years and touched the lives of not only her subjects but of those of us all over the world who watched from a distance.