The Plight of the Queen of Hearts

Shuffle the deck, deal the cards, place your bets.        
In the game of love,              
only jokers surrender to chance or luck.              
To win a queen ‘s heart,              
 you must play your cards well.              
             
Four dainty ladies              
Pick your poison...              
A heart, club, diamond, or spade              
Each a different gamble              
Which one will you fancy?              
             
The Dark deceptive Queen of Spades              
We all know her well...              
Her wicked web of lies        
Master of manipulation.      
Control and intimidation is the name of her game      
Spreading rumors, pulling strings,              
stirring the pot, than standing  back just to watch      
Manhunting those believed weaker than she,              
luring generous lovers, possessing well intentioned hearts.              
               
Or maybe you desire the lustful, restless, and misguided  Queen of Clubs.      
The wild child with a free spirit.      
Lack of attachment is her scheme      
Evasion and thrill of the chase are her tactics of choice.      
Don’t be fooled by her exuberant and tenacious exterior.      
Hidden underneath is a dangerously greedy, clever, and exploitative wench              
Be weary of her insatiable needs and wandering eye.      
A perpetual user, sucking life from her lover, moving on to the next.      
Soliciting fools believing the beast can be tamed.              
             
Possibly you treasure the charming, sophisticated Queen of Diamonds.      
The one we love to hate      
Notorious for her intoxicating beauty and privileged lifestyle.      
Dangerous one indeed, looks certainly do deceive      
Beneath the glitz and glamour,              
 dwells an entitled, selfish, needy, snob.  Impossible to please her, maintaining satisfaction is burdensome.      
For she demands constant adoration              
and feverishly seeks acquisition of life's finer things.  
Alluring arrogant and insecure lovers, with something to prove.              
             
Or will it be the often lastly chosen,              
 magnetic and idealistic Queen of Hearts.  
She yearns for a mate whom dances with her soul.  
Humbly offering lovers her genuine love, unfaltering loyalty, and sincere devotion.              
Provides comfort in her warm, nurturing embrace.      
Showering her lover with  sweet, tender affections.      
Her gracious heart and broad intellect labors an empathetic and understanding hand to hold.         Simple and reserved, she struggles to compete with her entrancing counterparts.      
Softness viewed as weakness      
Carelessly overlooked and under appreciated              
             
Beauty reaching  depths beyond her physical features      
Her magic deeply guarded behind a tortured soul      
Priceless heart of gold      
Acquired from a life rich in anguish and  constant suffering.      
Adorned a crown of pain,              
covered in jewels, earned with each trial persevered.      
Forever reminiscent of a woeful past,      
her ever-flowing source of strength.              
             
Appeal unappreciated until suitors circle the deck      
Petitioners arrive baring scars, wounds seeping.     Still Intoxicated by seductive whirlwind romances.      
Jaded, leery, and cynical from head spinning misadventures.      
Resources depleted, exhausted and worn.        Bearing contempt for the game      
With nothing left to offer, but a  used up, bleeding heart      
and desperation veiled in promises of absolute love and devotion.              
             
Benevolent queen,      
incessantly providing sanctuary for the broken and damaged, seeking refuge and hope  
everlastingly cursed to mend broken and misguided souls.      
Satin gloves hide  the scars  dispersed among her arms and hands.      
Nicked and cut, piecing  together shattered hearts and mending wounds she didn’t inflict.        Compassionate bleeder      
Sharer of suffering              
             
Wise queen,      
High upon her mighty throne      
The diligent observer      
Watching the chaos and dysfunction    
learning from mistakes of others      
Ultimate source of wisdom              
             
Weep not for this mighty queen      
She hides her secrets well,      
source of her strength?      
She knows the odds are stacked in her favor,         Alas, she fooled us all                
             
Turning misfortunes into fortitude      
Rejection leading to familiarity with solitude,        Becoming a master of introspection, growing comfortable in her own skin.              
             
Overlooked, developing patience  while waiting for her king's arrival.      
Time spent internally searching,  becoming attuned with her needs      
will settle for nothing less.              
             
Recognizing the full weight of her power...       Knowing her worth,      
confident of what she has to offer,      
unafraid of sitting alone at the head of her table     Making her most dangerous of 'em all.              
             
With only room for one in her heart,      
she must be selective, cautious, and vigilant.         She craves the one whom cherishes her worth.         If the Queen of Hearts is the one you seek,        Cautiously proceed...              
Evoke her wrath or threatened her crown      
And it’s OFF WITH YOUR HEAD!