I want, copy-cat-like, to add my praises to Fred's, Judy - very funny.
For the first time it actually made me want to join one of these classes
myself.
I don't quite get why you write "her husband wouldn't mind", as he so
obviously didn't & the "didn't mind drafts" seems to me then to slightly
lose its edge.
mj
judy prince wrote:
> I appreciate your comment, Fred. Thanks.
>
> Judy
>
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Frederick Pollack"
> <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Thursday, August 10, 2006 6:40 AM
> Subject: Re: Bea's Lovely Poetry Workshop
>
>
>> Very good, Judy. The last word especially witty, unexpectedly
>> understated.
>>
>>
>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "judy prince" <[log in to unmask]>
>> To: <[log in to unmask]>
>> Sent: Wednesday, August 09, 2006 3:18 PM
>> Subject: Poem: Bea's Lovely Poetry Workshop
>>
>>
>> Bea's Lovely Poetry Workshop
>>
>>
>> "We've been coming to this workshop for upwards of 6 years now," said
>> Evelyn Utter, "and after last week's workshop we met for tea, coffee,
>> crackers, biscuits and scones at the Buck and Ram. Once Oliver had
>> gone home, we swiftly came to a decision---not one dissenting vote!"
>>
>> "Well? And what was it?" said Bea.
>>
>> "We want to change everything we've been doing in the workshop to
>> make it more ... interesting."
>>
>> "I'm all ears!" Bea said, listening with only half an ear.
>>
>> Evelyn had lost her courage. After all, she had only written 14
>> poems in 6 years---which the other participants had told her was
>> because of the boringness of the workshops. She nudged Angela.
>>
>> Immensely uncomfortable in confronting The Poetry Authority (which
>> was Bea), Angela nevertheless proclaimed: "We want things to look at!"
>>
>> "Like what?"
>>
>> "I should think a good start would be flowers ... " Angela said,
>> beginning to falter.
>>
>> "Fine. Why don't we arrange for one of us to bring flowers from home
>> each week? That settled? Ready to do poetry, my dear workshoppers?"
>>
>> Angela seemed comforted. But Evelyn was clearly not to be put off so
>> quickly. "We need more than flowers!" she yelped. "We need
>> something more than that!"
>>
>> Bea determined that she would not only make her participants happy,
>> but she would give them quite a surprise. "Tell you what. Next week
>> I'll arrange for you to have 'something more than that', and if
>> you're still wanting more, we'll discuss it again."
>>
>> The participants, in various postures and expressions, relented.
>> They'd give it a whirl. Nothing to be lost by seeing what happened
>> next week. They took up their notebooks and scribbled their versions
>> of what had just happened, trying to make it sound poetic.
>>
>> The following week, Bea came into the bare workshop room with a
>> bouquet of gardenias in a glass vase. Evelyn and Angela sat in front
>> and exclaimed at the flowers' beauty and fragrance. You could see
>> that they felt it was fine----but not enough to be 'something more
>> interesting'.
>>
>> The other three participants came in, followed by a tech person who
>> brought in 5 easels. He put them in front of each participant's
>> chair, and then brought in a chaise longue which he placed in the
>> center of the room in perfect view of the workshoppers. Then he left.
>>
>> The door opened and an arm extended, its fingers holding the tip of a
>> black velvet something. In came the rest of the person, a red-haired
>> man covered with a full-length cape. He strolled past the
>> workshoppers toward the room's center, bent and smelled the
>> gardenias, selected one and gave it to Evelyn.
>>
>> Then he unfastened the braid frog at the cape's top, swished off the
>> cape, twirled it around and flung it onto the chaise longue. Then he
>> reclined, nude, on the chaise.
>>
>> Evelyn's gardenia trembled. Angela gripped her notebook. No one,
>> not even the naked man, moved.
>>
>> "We'll have him do 60-second poses first so that we can write or even
>> sketch on the easel with heightened emotions and rapid reactions.
>> Since we've become such a democratic group of late, perhaps you'll
>> have suggestions as to his poses," Bea said and waited.
>>
>> "Yes, I should think he'd be more comfortable if he had a pillow
>> behind his head," Angela ventured.
>>
>> She always sat on a cushion brought from home, so she stood, took the
>> cushion to the chaise and placed it under his head. He thanked her
>> with a gleaming smile.
>>
>> Evelyn stood up suddenly, walked quickly to the chaise and moved the
>> man's left leg up onto it.
>>
>> Angela was shocked. "Don't you think that's a bit forward!"
>>
>> Evelyn countered, "It's up, not forward."
>>
>> At last the man spoke: "I am perfectly comfortable with however you
>> decide to arrange me. Feel free."
>>
>> The three other participants rushed up and began arranging the man
>> who was beginning to enjoy himself immensely (as was difficult not to
>> notice).
>>
>> Bea thought, on balance, that her solution had caught on quite nicely
>> and that her husband wouldn't mind. He was always a good sport and
>> didn't mind drafts.
>>
>
--
The older I get, the more I agree with Shakespeare and those poet Johnnies about it always being darkest before the dawn and there's a silver lining and what you lose on the swings you make up on the roundabouts. Bertram Wooster, Esq.
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