ABPA - Australian Bush Poets Association

THE ICING ON THE CAKE .... Maureen Clifford © The #ScribblyBark Poet

The headlines in bold print proclaimed 'By popular demand
we bring again for your delight a dancer whose command
performances across the world have feted Kings and Queens.
We know you'd hate to miss seeing Pearl of the Philippines.'

Dame Fortune smiles, and men go weak, yet she favours the strong
and only rules half of their fate - the other does belong
to them, to do with as they will, resist a females wile's.
A bold young man will take his chance - on him Dame Fortune smiles.

The stage was set, the curtains drawn, the house lights slowly dimmed.
Orchestra seamlessly segued ... a dancer, ivory limbed
appeared to float across the stage, with graceful pirouettes.
The opening scene of the ballet Waltz of the Marionettes.

Entranced, the audience was hushed - each note clear as a bell
echoed around the gilded hall, all were held in a spell.
Each arabesque was faultless, each adagio sublime,
perfection was a Grand jeté caught in a space of time.

Pearl of the Philippines he was - a pearl beyond compare,
gifted with talent unrestrained by poorness and despair.
Rules of society he broke, he flouted each preconception,
rose to the top, like cream on milk - few knew of the deception.

And now it mattered not at all, for all who worshipped dance
were captured by his beauty, and his grace and elegance,
and stood against those who'd speak with authoritarian voice.
Let this talent be recognized - it's his matter of choice.

And so around the world in theatres, hushed, dim and dark
Pearl of the Philippines would dance and stamp his own hallmark
on classic ballets, loved, revered ... Tchaikovsky's dance Swan Lake
he made Odette the Queen his own, the icing on his cake.


Pearl was a figment of my imagination - however a fluid gender dancer is already out there ...https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/0 ... l-ballets/

This is an original idea, Maureen. You are never short of inspiration, and for me in my head-scratching moments, I wish it came as easily to me!

Cheers
Shelley

This is nice Maureen.

For one who cannot get her knees anywhere near up....I appreciate those who can.
I love watching ballet and the way the dancers move around the stage.
Seemingly so effortless.

I felt this in your poem.

Oh thank you Wendy I was impressed by the story of the young gender fluid dancer and thought it worth mentioning in my poem. The arts have certainly helped open acceptance of those who are different and IMO that is a good thing. And everyone is beautiful in God's eyes - something that perhaps some people really should take on board

My knowledge of such things is pretty slim Maureen

But you seem to have covered the subject well with this poem - well done

Cheers Terry

Thank you Terry - it was a news story that caught my eye, which I then combined with the beautiful 'Lady boys' of the Philippines, and not being one who is hide bound by convention I just kind of mixed it up a bit