Fable for the singing queens of England

Poem commissioned by HereBeDragons for the Kimpton Fitzroy.

‘At the Kimpton Fitzroy, we unravel from our feathery lives, slink off our fishtails, uncurl our wings and nest in the spectacle of golden light, sumptuous textures and the mystery of the universe.’

THE PROCESS

Poetry of the 19th Century is rich with language, mystique and mythology. The Kimpton is a projection of this. I was struggling to find an entry for the poem until I spotted, in the cocktail bar, a painting of a woman with swan wings for ears, and I imagined I was this creature coming in to nest at the Fitzroy.

In the poem, the creature portrays travellers who stay at the Fitzroy, and the curious nature of the intended audience for the hotel using art from the hotel itself.

The fable of the singing queens is a folk tale. I envisioned the marble staircase to the hotel as breastmilk from the queens that guard the entrance; they sing in chorus inviting weary travellers to nest in their secret cavern, almost like sirens.

The poem begins traditionally, turning contemporary in the last two stanzas with simple language, shorter sentences and faster flow. It meanders through myth, luxury, voyaging band rich language through to a softer, more natural reality.

I am a surrealist poet. The poem’s an honest imagining of my experience.

THE BRIEF

‘Bland is not’ - a tricky prompt to oust a poem on an ‘experience of the Kimpton’. I couldn't un-see ‘bland’ in my writing until I followed intuition on the winged woman in the cocktail bar.

I’ll do as you ask my way and you’ll always get what you want.

Below are sections from a draft of the poem. Full piece will presented international women’s day 2023.