Ghosts in Plumage

Ziegfeld Girl 'Rose Delores' - by Alfred Cheney Johnston, ca 1920;
image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Ghosts with Plumage

With elegant, bedazzling chic

they sweep the stage in plumed mystique

each draped in glitter, sequins, pearls…

they are the ghosts of Follies girls.

Like birds of paradise, in hues

of plum, cerulean, chartreuse,

they captivate the dukes and earls…

they are the ghosts of Follies girls.

 

They’re statuesque; they’re full of grace;

‘though time’s moved on, there’s still a trace

of perfume, rouge and silken curls…

they are the ghosts of Follies girls.

At old show houses, you might chance

to catch the swirl of spectral dance.

Chorines' drift by in steps and twirls…

they are the ghosts of Follies girls.

With elegant, bedazzling chic…

they are the ghosts of Follies girls.

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Notes: The form is Kyrielle Sonnet.  

The poem was prompted by the Thirty by Thirty Challenge theme of 'plum.'  

Going on from there, I searched for a plum (or even a plumage) quote to use as a possible epigraph, and found this: "I always loved fish for the colors and birds for the plumage.  In the same way, I loved those women of the cabaret.  They were birds of paradise," by Christien Louboutin.  I realized that his quote is really about true cabaret performers, so I didn't use it per se, but somehow, my mind made the leap to the Sondheim musical Follies, and hence Ghosts in Plumage.

It's a Puzzlement...and so much more...

Caïn venant de tuer son frère Abel, by Henry Vidal in Tuileries Garden in Paris, France, a photograph by Alex E. Proimos, image found at Wikimedia Commons

More Bewildered Than Ever

“The more you explain it, the more I don’t understand it.” ~Mark Twain

You really tend to obfuscate

and also circumnavigate

whatever points you try to make.

I’m so confused, for heaven’s sake.

Just tell it to me plain, I beg.

You disregard.  Instead, you segue

into more purple tosh. Headshake.

I’m mystified, for heaven’s sake.

I wonder if you truly know

of what you speak, but even so

the way you say it?  Too opaque.

I’m so perplexed, for heaven’s sake.

I guess it doesn’t matter if

you speak in English or in glyph,

I will not understand your take.

I just give up, for heaven’s sake.

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Notes:  The form is Kyrielle (with a tiny bit of modification.)  The poem was inspired by the theme of 'more' at Khara House's 30 by 30 Challenge.  

And.. if you are looking for a really fun form, check out Poetic Bloomings' In-form Poet page.  Today's form is the 'Appreciate.'

The Emerald City and Other Green Tales

Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Shades of Green-ish

Some idioms make use of green

like green with envy or green light

or l’il green apples…what I mean

is green-eyed monsters can ignite

a green-list poem.  So, I’ll write

about green thumbs, ka-ching! (green stuff) –

Just hope I don’t sound green or trite.

Regarding green: can’t get enough.

A hedge between keeps friendships green,

but green around the gills?  You’re ill.

So now, let’s talk of hue:  you’ve seen,

no doubt, some shades like shamrock, dill,

pistachio and olive. Still…

want more?  Try forest, honeydew,

chartreuse, a newly-minted bill…

You get the gist.  Now let’s do blue.

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Notes:  The form is Huitain.  You can find out more about it at The Poets Garret.  Today's Thirty by Thirty Challenge is, as you probably guessed, 'green.'  I love prompts that have to do with color, so this was a lot of fun for me.  

As an aside, you might think that, for inspiration, I am listening to music by Green Day or maybe even the soundtrack from The Wizard of Oz (and yes, I do love both, actually!) but oddly enough, I am not.  Instead, I'm listening to Ghost Town.  Last night, I took my daughter to see them (along with some other great bands) at the Stone Pony in Asbury Park.  My daughter was in total heaven, which was very cool.  But interestingly enough, one of Ghost Town's songs is titled Zombie Girl.  And since zombies fairly often are depicted as being kind of green - well - there you are!  

Be green.