Queen Of Hearts Poem by Edward Steinhardt

We miss you already, Diana.
You came to us in the magic hour,
A blushing bride at St. Paul's.
We were there in the carriage
With you, while you lived our dreams
Of a fairy tale come true.

You were the only one of the Royals
Who was one of us: who grasped
The hands of well-wishers,
Tousled the hair of little boys,
And accepted bouquets from little girls
Who wanted to be just like you.

You visited the homeless
And commiserated with battered women.
You were humanitarian
When it was not fashionable:
AIDS, leprosy, land mines-
Even when the Crown frowned.

Even after the kingdom fell
And they closed the gates
Of Buckingham behind you,
You stood your ground.
Where before you cried silently,
You faced things squarely.

Through shyness you gained poise.
By your human failings
You earned our respect-
And gained your crown.

You were princess of a world
So in need of one.
You were the electricity
Come into a room, a word,
A gesture- that sideways glance.
You were the mother of kings
And queen of our hearts-
A monarch who flew
Too closely to the flame.