The turntable of my mind
is set to schizophrenic repeat.
It plays all night.
Nonchalant dancers in Carmen-style shoes
stamp hundreds of cockroaches
in the Royal Albert Hall.
The audience watches.
They hop in preoccupied rhythm
with unchanging snare drums,
grip roses in their mouths,
all wide-eyed and wild,
bared teeth mistaken for smiles.
 |
| Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec |
...quite a long night, and too many cockroaches to stamp on with... what fun! my spirit was like suddenly transported in your setting with some jovial friends from Calalini... loved this.... smiles...
ReplyDeleteI was taken to the 7,000 seater, Royal Albert Hall and heard the clicking on the boards. The wild Spanish invasion. Excellent!
ReplyDeleteThat should say clacking! More effective!
ReplyDeleteI heard the clacking on R3...
DeleteI love the sense of illusion and deceit... roaches in a palace... grimaces camouflaged as smiles... Like it.
ReplyDeleteThe second I read the title of your poem, Ravel and his masterpiece consumed my thoughts. I have it playing as I'm typing this comment ~~~ love where you took the challenge. Off to listen to Mr. Stainforth now.
ReplyDeleteLove "schizophrenic repeat" and the last line is so enigmatic!
ReplyDeleteMr. Stainforth should have ended with a rose in his mouth! :) Yet he does look a little wild eyed (and wild haired) as if he has just got done dancing himself!
DeleteI'm giggling at the thought of a rose in his mouth...
Deleteit's not a dancehall
ReplyDeleteit's a battleground
A most entertaining poem. But should the flamenco dancer be unkind to cockroaches?
ReplyDeleteSomebody's gotta do it...
DeleteI like this one.
ReplyDeleteI love the sinister undertone of this. Brilliant write.
ReplyDeletei like the different dance terminology that you use
ReplyDeleteDance to the Moulin Rouge
Shrewd and rather wise. Beautifully done.
ReplyDeleteAnd soon will they stone her ?
ReplyDeleteSpanish dancers stomping out cockroaches got me. And maybe that is why all the wild stomping.
ReplyDeleteI have had nights like your poem. Nice descriptions.
A lovely poem with wonderful phrases!
ReplyDelete"Nonchalant dancers in Carmen-style shoes
ReplyDeletestamp hundreds of cockroaches
in the Royal Albert Hall."
I have always suspected that there was more to clogging than just dancing.
That second stanza is a killer! LOL
ReplyDeleteThey sure got rhythm...Rockettes, watch out!
ReplyDeletevivid
ReplyDeleteA passionate flow and feel for a sensuous piece of music
ReplyDeleteTook me be back to another time.
ReplyDeleteI love the cockroach stamping!
ReplyDeleteAmazingly entertaining! I'm on the cockroach stamping ground, I am......!
ReplyDelete