George Aligayah

George Aligayah
Every day George practices
his well rehearsed line.
he looks into the bathroom mirror as he is shaving,
he sings it in the shower
enunciates every word whenever he is alone,
"The Queen is Dead."
He rehearses scenarios,
she died peacefully in her sleep,
a bullet went through her forehead,
she was killed in a car crash in Paris.

Mrs Aligayah has not been on holiday for years,
she cannot understand why her husband always ignores
suggestions of a French chateaux,
brochures of villas in Tuscany
all talk of staying with her brother in Tobago.
George knows the value of full attendance.
He does not want to give anyone else the chance to say the words,
Huw Edwards, Dermot Murnaghan,

Natasha Kaplinsky. When they are in the same room
the atmosphere is always frosty.
He knows they all want to be the one on TV.
George Aligayah has a bag packed especially
He keeps it by the front door.
In it is a black tie, a comb,
a notebook with a carefully worded eulogy
and his lucky pants
because at any time the phone could ring
and it will be his producer saying
"George,
the Queen is Dead,
we need you."