Where’s the Queen? – a poem

WHERE’S THE QUEEN?

When I was young I saw the Queen,
Opening a building new and clean.
I thought she’d be in royal gown,
With jewels and sceptre, wearing crown,
Like the queens in all my books;
I expected Royal looks.
The crowd were cheering; “Hip hooray!
Oh, this is a lovely day!”
Mum, excited, “There’s she is!”
I looked and looked, but what a swizz.
“Where is she Mum? She can’t be seen.”
“Right there, the centre of the scene.”
My disappointment can’t be told
(I really wasn’t very old)
‘Cos she was dressed like me and you!
Green suit and hat, and normal shoes.
She looked just like the others there
It really wasn’t very fair!
Her jewels are saved, this I now know
For special days, but even so
For all my life I’ll not forget
The day she made me so upset!

(On 17th December 1969, H.M. The Queen came to Crawley to open the new Crawley Council offices. My Mum and I were in the crowd that came to see her.)

By Sue Ganz

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Photograph of the Queen in 1958 planting a tree in Queens Square, Crawley
Queen planting a tree, Queen’s Square, 1958. Photograph from Crawley Museum’s Collection

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Harol Hodgdon

2 years ago

Elizabeth such a quiet giant.

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