The Final Delusion
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His herald beckoned emphatically
the King rose and kissed the flat cheek of His Queen
"Show time!" he remarked with an imperial laugh
led from His royal chambers by two uniformed servants
taken down the Great Hall
into a room filled with his subjects
they gawked at His Highness with wide, admiring eyes
one man in the back of the room sneered at the Ruler
"He'd better watch it," thought the King
"or off with is head like that of my last Queen."
ushered to His majestic throne
He sat down, took the weight off His noble legs
servants adorned the Monarch with His regal crown and jewels,
two tight-fitting, heavy bracelets --
the crown hung in a queer manner; it blocked the Liege's vision
He spoke, outraged: "What . . . what is this on my head?" - no reply
the jester smiled, winked his eye at a royal guard,
and pulled a switch protruding from the wall
the King spasmed briefly, then slept peacefully . . . Forever.

Later, while cleaning out the recently vacated cell,
a guard ripped down a black-and-white photograph of a beautiful woman
she wore a small crown
the guard tossed the old picture into the trash can
then yelled "Shut up!" to an obstreperous prisoner down the hall