Using “The Queen” as a Metaphor for the Religious Right

I don’t like silence,

and I mentioned this to the Queen

as we busied ourselves with preparation

for an upcoming function.

Not afraid-to-be-alone silence, I have

learned to live with that, but

the kind that comes when couples drift

apart, when expectations find no common ground

to share, and attribution stands rigid

like tombstones

unwilling to dance.

I have noticed these tendencies

infiltrating the kingdom and I

mentioned this to the Queen, who responded

with the practiced concern of a politician, masking

a deep indifference.