The sand shakes beneath his feet
The air hangs heavy in rooms graced by his presence
Power shifts across the region at the flick of his finger
His enemies shudder at the whisper of his name
Make way!
He has arrived
Thobe, sandals, beard and all
Make way for Bin Salman!

It started with an all-encompassing vision
A bright future for all Saudis, maybe even the whole Middle East
With every step he took
The chess pieces fell
One-less obstacle to stand in his way
As many uncles and cousins as he needed to toss aside
For the puzzle-pieces of his master plan to fall into place

There is a beauty in the determination of the young
But there is also a looming danger of recklessness
Did Yemen have to suffer?
Did Qatar have to be blockaded?
Did Loujain and her peers have to be tortured?
Did Khashoggi have to die?

They are not the leaders we chose
But they are the leaders we have
Sitting in their grand palace complexes
Their walls graced with works by the likes of Da Vinci
But we must trust them to look out for the frail man on the street

His presence has been felt by the world
Journalists and academics alike chant his initials like a mantra
His grimmest expressions spattered across Al Jazeera’s reports
Discussions of his legacy has turned friends into foes

Maybe, just maybe the destruction laid in his wake
Will be healed by the changes he intentionally or unwittingly set into motion
Maybe underneath the haughty façade is just a deeply flawed human being with good intentions
Or maybe greed and power trumps all

One thing’s for sure
It’s the Season of the Prince.