The Last Song [revised] Poem by Margaret Alice Second

In a black cobweb top Alice can’t move freely
through the house - she’s catching herself on
projecting surfaces, corners, things that open
and close; slinking slowly along passages she
thinks of the last song to be sung before mom,
Queen of Hearts, and Duchess leave the land

To move to the Cape; her sis the Duchess said
she found a house, bags are packed, they sent
her a picture of the new house near Oudshoorn
and De Rust close to Langenhoven’s birthplace-
author of Lullaby for Liefstetjie, a beautiful song
for singing a baby to sleep; this Saturday will

Be the last time she’ll sing a song in the acoustic
chapel of the old age home; thereafter she’ll see
her family only when the Lord and Master of the
Crocodile Castle takes his Crocodile family to the
Cape sea; Alice knows Conan, father of Duchess
& King of the Queen of Hearts will be thrilled as

He complains in a loud voice, secretly pleased
his life changes as always happens under the
Duchess’ governance; Scorpio tells Alice to be
resigned, go visit whenever the stars decree it
right - Alice, now wearing a black sleeveless
top in place of the cobweb, is lost for words…