Kingdoms and countries fill the earth,
King and Queen, Prince and Princess wisely
Reign empire with providence sovereignty,
Royal rank, authority, and power with ties key.
Ancient Egyptian Empire also Hittite and Babylonian
Large empires Assyrian, Persian, and Median realms prong,
World of Roman Empire ruled for centuries long,
Carolingian Empire reigning in the old-world throng.
New world Incan and Mayan Empire taken over
Spanish Empire liked the gold and shipped to their king,
British Empire the sun never set grew far and wide
Austria-Hungary large European kingdom covering wing.
American and Canada countries in growth
Switzerland selling Swiss chocolate welcome sweet tooth,
Israel, Ireland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania independent
Australia, Portugal, Italy countries display the voting booth.
bitter pages, brittle as they turn
my fingers traced these lines before
or were they yours
cursive notes penned, nestled in the margin
scrawled hurriedly first in candle light dim
scratched through then at the looming dawn
here is the passage trapped in a bracket
to signify it your best-loved
Carolingian proverbs of affection and death
mastered in memory to the last, flawless word
only once to impart at dinner
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