Oh, Scotty, have you visited the Picture Gallery, <br />And did you see the portraits of the King and Queen and me? <br />The portraits made by Longstaff, and the pictures done by Jack, <br />Of the King and Queen and Lawson and the lady all in black? <br />The King is robed in royal state, with medals on his breast, <br />And, like the mother Queen she is, Her Majesty is dressed. <br />The lady’s dressed in simple black and sports no precious stones, <br />And I a suit of reach-me-downs I bought from Davy Jones. <br /> <br />We’re strangers two to two, and each unto the other three— <br />I do not know the lady and I don’t think she knows me. <br />We’re strangers to each other here, and to the other two, <br />And they themselves are strangers yet, if all we hear is true. <br /> <br />I s’pose we’re just as satisfied as folks have ever been: <br />The lady would much rather be her own self than the Queen; <br />And though I’m down and precious stiff and I admire King Ned, <br />I’d sooner just be Harry, with his follies on his head. <br /> <br />We four may meet together—stranger folk have met, I ween, <br />Than a rhymer and a monarch and a lady and a queen. <br />Ned and I might talk it over on the terrace, frank and free, <br />With cigars, while Alexandra and the lady’s having tea. <br /> <br />Anyway, we’ll never quarrel while we’re hanging on the wall— <br />Friends! we all have had our troubles—we are human, one and all! <br />If by chance we hang together—hang together on the line, <br />And the thing should shock the Godly—then it’s Longstaff’s fault, not mine.<br /><br />Henry Lawson<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/the-king-and-queen-and-i/
