Queen of Hearts
Interlaced Quatrains
My compass led me here, must be broken,
To slanted streets in a tilted city
The one of which trembling lips have spoken
A cry “All hail her royal majesty!”
Under chandeliers of candles and gold
The flames swirl with crimson in my goblet,
She floats as phantoms do but far too bold
Lustrous rubies arranged like blood droplets
Drip from her throat, hypnotizing all eyes
While hers burn dark like fire rimmed vats of tar.
She bids me stay the night and I comply
But morning sun streams in through iron bars.
My feather pillow now a pile of straw,
The dungeon where her victims have suffered
Tightly clenched shackles rubbing my wrists raw.
All the rumors, their true tale discovered –
Fly in a spiderweb, ensnared by her.
The immortal queen eats a special tart,
Vanilla, cherry, something sinister
The last ingredient: my beating heart.
About the Creator
D.K. Shepard
Character Crafter, Witty Banter Enthusiast, World Builder, Unpublished novelist...for now
Fantasy is where I thrive, but I like to experiment with genres for my short stories. Currently employed as a teacher in Louisville.
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More stories from D.K. Shepard and writers in Poets and other communities.
A Dart at Dusk
Seconds ago, the sullen sun set on the two of us… my exuberant furry companion and me. A fresh breeze embraces us, delivering welcome relief from the day’s oppressive heat. His typical stumbling and staggering along — apace with a sloth — has turned into trip-trapping, high-stepping, almost skipping along.
By Angie the Archivist 📚🪶2 days ago in Petlife
Comments (3)
Damn that ending was powerful!!! The entire poem built up to it so beautifully!
Excellent poem with all Poppy’s word prompts ✅. Loved the rhyme , beautiful vivid language & atmosphere. I’m still recovering ❤️🩹 from the shocking final line!😵💫. Amused by your chosen descriptor afterwards: for fun!😳
Ooh, I like the bit where the morning sun slants in, straight away the sense of the glamour falling away is made.