Everything
first and foremost
was to be for her

[/i]if you could just watch[/i]

princess of this supposedly impartial kingdom
nearly worshipped
when contrasted
with her forgotten counterpart

[/i]I knew you’d understand[/i]

praised were all of them
for their effort
so why then
were all of them not treated equally

[/i]I still need you there[/i]

why was one of them to be
an inferior
in the eyes
of their mistress
to be excluded

[/i]you’re just quiet[/i]

and ignored
for weeks the one would work
with diligence
equal to that of any other
and yet
at the conclusion
after the curtain closed
that final time
the memory of those eight weeks
recorded for all time
in vibrant ink
and fond words
will remember only her
erasing any likeness
of the understudy