The more things change, or: Stay the same

Posted on by ben Alexander

Poetry Partners #98

‘The Age of Elegance’, a poem by Dawn Pisturino of ‘My Writing Journey’

Velvet, lace, satin,
Silk, brocade;
Long, billowy dresses
With tight bodices
Cut low and alluring.
Fluttering fans
And white hair piled high
As a snow-capped mountain
On heads delicately balanced
On long, slender necks.

Velvet, lace, satin,
Silk, brocade;
Tight breeches
And tailor-made jackets
Elegantly embellished;
Sheer white stockings
Tightly pulled up the legs;
Pilgrim shoes with shiny brass buckles
And scarlet high heels.
Lacy handkerchiefs,
Gold snuff boxes,
And fans conveying
Secret messages to lady-loves,
And mistresses already married.

Velvet, lace, satin,
Silk, brocade;
Drawing-room comedies,
String quartets,
And illicit love-making
In the gold-leaf box seats,
Hidden by gold-leaf grapevines
And golden bunches of grapes.
The Age of Elegance, indeed,
And the Age of Grace.

A sijo by ben Alexander of ‘The Skeptic’s Kaddish’

humankind's ever-changing trappings,
ever the changeless trap;
bodies bound by materials,
bound to stay immaterial;
at my most contented,
I contend with these contentions

Let’s write poetry together!

When it comes to partnership, some humans can make their lives alone – it’s possible. But creatively, it’s more like painting: you can’t just use the same colours in every painting. It’s just not an option. You can’t take the same photograph every time and live with art forms with no differences.

–Ben Harper (b. 1969)

Would you like to create poetry with me and have a completed poem of yours featured here at the Skeptic’s Kaddish? I am very excited to have launched the ‘Poetry Partners’ initiative and am looking forward to meeting and creating with you… Check it out!

List of Poetry Partners

20 thoughts on “The more things change, or: Stay the same”

  1. This is very beautiful, what a great write you two. The painting is perfect for the piece as well. Blessings to you and the family David. Congratulations on so many poems written with partners, beautiful. xoxo

  2. I think I missed the chance to comment here…
    First off, Congrats Dawn…
    👏👏
    Love your full bodied ooh la la poem Dawn and how quickly David stripped it to it’s bottom line… the way most men I know do.. 😂💖

  3. This is a wonderful poem. Congratulations to Dawn for penning a lovely poem and appreciate David for encouraging fellow poets by publishing their poems.

  5. Oh, David, you caught me by surprise! I’ve been on vacation, and I wasn’t expecting you to publish it so soon! Thank you for your beautiful response! And you are right – human vanity never really changes! Thank you so much!

  7. Dawn’s poem is full of descriptive elegance – very evocative of the façade of times past when proper and rich attire hid the baseness of the human condition. This is in contrast where you very succinctly point fingers at the folly of pretending we are something that we are not!!

  9. Oh I so enjoyed reading Dawn’s Poem, the Age of Elegance

    The beat and flow reminded me of the song…

    Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens
    Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens
    Brown paper packages tied up with strings
    These are a few of my favorite things

    Sung by Julie Andrews in the movie, The Sound of music.

    The trinkets and stuff you mentioned will remain our favourites folded and seamed in different fashions.

    Lol, David, spot on.

      1. Oh you like me in this respect.
        It comes to me when I’m happy and even when I want to shake off negativity. ❤❤

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