Long, long ago she sat
rapt in attention,
the girl with the golden plait.
She had set herself a task 
and could not fail.
It was fun at first.
Everywhere and at all times
throughout the fairytale landscape
see her ready to jump-
denounce any false word,
clear as the musical clanger
or the blunder in mathematics.
Her task needs paralysing concentration
never allow error to swan past.
A flea's leap of time now shows
her fingers curl around a handle.
Her door opens to a furtive queue:
behind a huge rosette the party candidate,
the evangelist and his book,
delivery man, giant, a dragon,
grandma with the big teeth.