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.
>
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