This headline on the BBC website made me read “surprise” as a gender identity…
Not Prince, not Princess; Royal Baby.
Will it be confusing? Maybe.
But I need to emphasize:
That my gender is ‘surprise’!
King or Queen? Whatever’s fine:
Either way, I’m next in line
Why not go with ‘Monarch’, guys?
Since my gender is ‘surprise’!
It may cause distress and fear
If a Windsor’s genderqueer
Norman Tebbit rolls his eyes
Cause my gender is ‘surprise’!
But when I’m born, I’ll fall into
A world of either of pink or blue
Alas: I doubt they’ll realize
That my gender is ‘surprise’!
Tom Juniper Poetry 