A tribute to Ted Kennedy: the prince who never would be king

The lion sleeps.
The den is dark.
The pride has lost its prince.
The liberal’s mane
(snow-white by age)
now frames a face that winced.

And though he dreamed
of being king,
he was a prince for life.
The missteps
that had marked his youth,
stole more than
just his wife.

A son of privilege,
Teddy grieved
his family’s endless pain.
The tragedies
that marked this clan
were equal
to their fame.

But Edward held
them in his arms.
He was their patriarch.
Though flawed
and scarred
by scandal’s wounds,
he had a lion’s heart.

But now that heart
is stilled by death,
the lion sleeps tonight.
And those who mourn
this Lion Prince,
aren’t labeled
left or right.