Lamia Queen Of The Worldwide Prom Poem by Mary Angela Douglas

"oh what can ail thee, knight at arms..."

John Keats



lamia queen of the world wide prom

if she has three heads or only one

be sure on each is a crown of crowns most succulent

a tendency to draw you in and round you her dire web to spin

blank sparkles in her gaze that's tracking

everything inside her maze; she owns it all

woven ribbons in her topknot; nothing lacking in

the swish of the gown; three lilies, and the closing bell,

the tilt of the head

oh where can mercy be found among the dead

how much she hides

more than the hydra,

Keats in the withered sedge

surmised as he lay dying, ebbing dreams

queen of the prom universal making the scene

oh mesmerism's dower; the fly trap poisonous flower

Medusa's more evil twin

that traps small children in their book of days

and in those eyes on arrogant display

always the calculation rampant wheedling need

for another prize insatiable greed

and a sash to match them

and the darkening sun.



Ave Maria. Kingdom Come.

Spare us from the snakelike ones.

the constricting hour.



mary angela douglas 5 november 2020