through white and blue
your airplane flew
leaving me in a heap at your throne

my fingertips bled
thick drops of red
trying to make a crown of my own

through rocky mountains
and florida fountains
i can hear freedom ring

but underneath it all
with my back against the wall
i cry out, “Long Live the King!”

after choking on fumes
my life will resume
grayer than the smoke and the screens

when it’s finally clearer
i’ll look in the mirror
and pray, “God, Save the Queen.”