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Tuesday 21 July 2009

A Fairy Tale


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[magnolia.jpg]



The ambassador to the hall of mirrors

Losing himself in troubled reflections shows

His cards against a green felt field of chance:

One turns the page over -– how will it come out? –-

This formal dance of a tale in need of

A fairy tale ending, starting with a dream,

The storied ball in which the princess

Prepares to die of heartbreak when the music

That rings against the painted sky and tree

Has ceased and the ball is over, finishes

Instead in accident not tragedy,

The bright life in the dark half-life memorized,

The sole remaining sound quiet tires leaving,

The guests’ faces pressed to the iced windows,

The long black sigh of the departing diplomat –-

Deep in a time that’s independent of us

Where that music long ago stopped echoing –-

Spiraling like a stopped scream through the blind elms.



[hojas.jpg]



Magnolia: photo by Lucy in the Sky, 2009

Hojas (Leaves): photo by Lucy in the Sky, 2008



4 comments:

Matthew said...

Hi Tom!

Just a few words... thanks!

Plasmé mi sonrisa en un papel

y le dí alas para que vuele lejos

con la esperanza de que se pose en sus hermosas manos

y ella me guarde dentro de su corazón.

Anonymous said...

Sometimes it is nice to get into the world of fantasy and believe that it is possible for fairy tales to have happy endings. But then, of course, we remember a "happy ending" is nothing but an oxymoron.

human being said...

so majestic and magnificent though gloomy... the way you bring out the soul of the photos is really amazing...

"Where that music long ago stopped echoing –- Spiraling like a stopped scream through the blind elms."

and what i love is the movement that still continues here regardless of the stopped echo of msic and the scream...

Melissa said...

I love this--have read it at least 10 times. I've been feeling like this accidental princess