Entrance

It was just after the prelude
To the second waltz
Of the evening
And already her skirt was swinging
To the rippling rhythm
There were two steps more
And then the door
When she tugged a pause
On his hand
And quickly retied a ribbon
Bending to hide her blush
Till he smiled and lifted her chin
Winked her a smile
And led her through the door
They took half a breath
Three paces in
And then he swung her into the dance
And they were off
Porcelain figures
Whirling about the mirrored floor
As the old mothers nodded wisely
And young lovers welcomed them
Into the throng
They smiled together
As the final notes of the waltz
Tiptoed off the violin
And into the echoes
And the evening bloomed on

Conversation

I wander the wide spaces
At peace among the green
Looking for a flash of skirt
Amid the crowds
Blue and brown
Sky and earth met
Within her
With a laugh as sweet
As the new mown grass
And eyes as quick
As a filly’s feet
I have to smile
When I see her bent over
Studying a daisy
Like a dropped jewel
So intent
That I startle her with hello
And scramble to catch
Her tumbling hand
As she flutters
-a fresh caught bird
And lets loose laughter
Lighting up the world
As she comments that
-this is becoming a habit-
And I grin back
Thinking- a virtue not a vice.

Upon Their First Friendship

The short green grass
Was waving abruptly
And he was out there
I could see him
Strong on the silent horse
A weaving shadow
Among the racing blurs
Dashes and sprints
And a score-
I find myself pleased
To find his gaze on me
Blowing a smile towards him
With my fan
He returns the favour
Spurring his grin
With a dip of his hat
The whistle blows
And I stand by the punch
Looking for the square yellow
That is his sign
And the red hair
That is his herald
He comes
As I am pouring a temperate cup
For the madam of the event
Who pompously
Inclines her bristly hat
Briskly pairing the match
Of the season
Introduces her dear me
To her darling him
And we smile
Over her hat –still shaking
With matchmaking magic-
And murmur –we’ve met-
And under her swishing skirts
Somewhere a gladiolus blooms
And I smile knowing
The message of fate
Household plants speak only truth
Gladiolus- Love at first sight.

Upon Their Falling in Love

It was the time

To promenade
Take in the sights
And quote quietly
Things wise others said
In a celebration of sunrise
She wandered in pink
An edging of rose
Against the aged tan
Of immortality in stone
Wandering alone
The wind whistled
Behind and around her
An uplifting call
As her skirts clustered
And the edge of a shield
A pale lace veil
Slipped away into the eddies
Of the mischievous current
And was caught
Not crumpled
Within the hard hands
Of a man in twilight’s garb
Red gold over soft blue
And a smile as soft as shadow
Two quick steps
And he was there
As she was still turning
Tangled and unaware
Of the lights and shadows
That met in their meetings
That graced her hair
And glossed his eyes
Neither seeing
The portrait of poetry
The others paused to note
He took her slipping hand
And steadied her against the stone
As she took her quivering shield
And still left her face open to his
Their names slid forth
Gently
With smiles to comfort their landing
And twilight took sunrise
Touching her hand
By surprise
With simple apologies
Loss and retrieval
All hope was lost
All future gained
Within the four breaths
Of – Very pleased sir.
And – honoured madam.

Lost in the Crowd

A spring gathering and dance  April 15 1832

I was tapping 

a staccato rhythm-

Fingers lost without

smooth leather

wrapped between them.

Click and swoosh.

Cantering by

in flashes of brown

and gold and green. 

streams murmering

behind delicate paintings

held by delicate hands.

Blue-green eyes

watching without shield

open and quiet

over her laughing mouth

of rosebuds and pearls.

I spoke of jumps

and hands high,

courses and places

and heard not

a word

I said. 

Myself and the gawkers

with clumsy hands

and worn feet-

Speaking of foreign things

to this new land.

UPON THEIR FIRST MEETING

(a spring gathering and dance) April 15 1832


I was discoursing
on the use
and various joys
of the household plant-
With the soft greenness
it endowed on the
purity of the white walls,
In the tea room
with the quiet ones-
The women who nod
behind their fans
in place of conversation-
lest the noise of speaking
should startle their delicate gowns
into flight
like the butterfly wings
they emulated,
When you came into
the room in a quiet burst of colour—
red gold hair over
the greygreen of your coat
and eyes like noonsky.
And there was a silence
half a heartbeat long—
and the murmur went on
and the trilling voiceof the fluttering hostess
claimed my thoughts…
From where they were lost
in the history of
the silkworm and his labors
And you were there
smiling the small smile of courtesy
stretched over
the merriment that bubbled
from your eyes.
I was bemused to find myself in
the world of horses and foxes
suddenly
under the grasp of your creaseworn hands.
And I nodded as
our names bounced
between us like well oiled springs.
My friend called—
You nodded farewell
and the butterflies
reconvened.