Lady Paragon

Action Figures by Edith Vonnegut

This housework makes me far too hot
and so I shed my clothes -
That's perfectly acceptable,
as long as no one knows...

But really, couldn't you have knocked
and not come bursting in?
You nearly frightened me to death-
though nudity's no sin...

Please!  Sir!  Don't blow my cover,
just quell your urge to shout.
Don't give my nosey neighbours
any more to talk about.

My blameless reputation
is at stake here, don't you see?
A scandal would be hard to bear
for a paragon like me!

Written for Tess and her Mag 257

Butterfly Kisses?

Butterfly dreams flit behind her eyelids,
as she savours memories of their lips
touching, kissing - soft as velvet wing-tips.


Written for Mag 255, with thanks to Tess.

No chore, this...

Washing Up

The kitchen sink holds extra charm
as she's encircled by his arm
and melodies unheard enhance
their poorly timed, impromptu dance.

The peeling paint or grime streaked wall -
they don't matter then at all,
for romance cloaks a mundane task
with magic. What more could one ask?

Inspired by Tess at The Mag 254

Goodbye

A soldier and his dainty lass
were sad to say goodbye
when he was forced to go to war;
they parted with a sigh.

"Take care! No matter where you roam
I'll pray for you each day"
and bravely holding back the tears,
she waved him on his way.

The soldier in his scarlet coat
marched off with noble tread,
while fearing that the girl might guess
what thoughts lay in his head.

"How will I live without my love?
And should I not survive
how will she fare all on her own
instead of as my bride?"


Inspiration gave out at this point, but I may add to it later! The adapted picture is of this week's Magpie which Tess gave us. Its original version is 'Bond of Union, 1956, by M. C. Escher', but I needed to play! 

Time Travel?

Play me Tchaikovsky’s  Romeo and Juliet  theme, on a violin, and I’m back in a London street on a snowy winter’s afternoon, transported by coach for a day out , but transported by the music to another time, to that day spent in the company of my first boyfriend. We held hands and shared magic…

Fireblossom, in the Imaginary Garden for Real Toads, set a challenge last Saturday...Here are my 55 words which capture a moment in time.

Afloat

Bold seafarers dream
as wind-waves dance together.
Moonlight adds magic.

Interpretation of original photo by R D Stainforth, for The Mag 233

Dream Time

Angel wings? Or Batman's cloak?
Which of these your muse invoke?
Will you escape the fires of hell
as Sunday's Magpie rings your bell
and sets your mind to lateral thinking
when you really have no inkling
as to where its lines may lead?
Will you write a full blown screed,
or will you do verbal gymnastics
and pen a poem? How fantastic!
I wish you joy - and come what may -
have fun with Tess this august day
of August as you scratch your head
and think 'I wish I'd stayed in bed!
This artwork is a Dream Time tale
but clever words seem set to fail
for who can catch a waking dream
when all is not quite as it seems?!'

Thanks to Tess and the image by Keith Haring at The Mag, from which I used a detail to create my accompanying effort. :-)

Reversed Reality

People's living ghosts
admire a gleaming image
of Nefertiti,
legendary immortal -
thanks to ancient history.

Uncanny image thanks to Tess and her Mag 230

Family Portrait

As a family portrait, the work left much to be desired.

But now he was full grown, the son seemed to hear his mother's playing every time he stood before the painting. 

He'd remember the time he'd been standing by her at the piano, the time when he'd noticed his father turn and walk away.

 Since then, nothing had ever been the same.


Written for the Mag 229, where Tess gave us an image of quite another persuasion...but which I translated into something else....
I hope you get the picture. :-)

Architectural Illusion

The painting was huge.
Once unveiled, the scale of it
could fool the senses
into believing they saw
a steel and concrete town-scape;
dark-glass reflections
creating strange images
of alien things
hovering just out of sight
behind a wire forest.

Written for Mag 228, with thanks to Tess and the un-named photographer.

P.S. Though it may look like random line breaks, I've actually used two of the Tanka, five line, 5/7/5/7/7 syllable count.