Planetary Wiz

He was wearing a coloured waistcoat,

All covered in Moons and stars,

With planets and things, and Saturn with rings,

And one glowing red like Mars,

I saw him first in the marketplace

Hid under his pointy hat,

With ribbons and whorls, and pictures of girls

Pinned over the place he sat.

And she was there at his feet that day

In a dress like a gypsy curse,

Her hair was red, and I’ve always said

She was one with the universe.

If ever love had bitten my hand

Tearing the flesh from the bone,

Then I’d have bled like a river, red

While dragging the girl back home.

But there on the table between them

The tickets were piled so high,

And each one said, ‘would you rather dead,

Or up for a place in the sky?’

It looked like a planetary super mart

With pebbles from outer space,

And there I saw an astrology chart

With a sketch reflecting my face.

I’d swear that the gypsy scowled at me

As the Moon Man tapped with his wand,

A sense of dread sweeping over my head

Put me in the sea of despond,

‘You know you have to get out of here,’

He whispered, the Man from Mars,

‘They’re coming to sweep you away this year,

Along with your rusty cars.’

The girl threw open her gypsy dress

The end would play on her screen,

The earth had gone where it once had shone,

It looked like a nightmare scene.

For bits of earth were floating apart

And space glowed green in the night,

While only the Moon still lit up the room

Where once there had been delight.

‘Pick up your ticket for who knows where,’

He said, to lighten the gloom,

The gypsy curse had been getting worse

Since I knew the earth was a tomb.

I thanked them both, then I turned away

As they faded into the stars,

With planets and things, and Saturn with rings,

And one glowing red like Mars,

David Lewis Paget

Reviews

[Celie Rose]

Enjoyed reading your poem. "With planets and things, and Saturn with rings,
And one glowing red like Mars," I like the spins and turns of your poem. The arrangement of words are very good. Tongue tie rhythm that flowed together very nicely yet a sense of fear and stillness in the air.
Well written and expressed.

[Helen Crutchett]

A marvelous poem indeed. Vivid, lively and full of gorgeous images. Bravo!

[A Soap Mess Stories]

Another well written tale. . .

[Valentine]

For some reason I really like this one and I am not usually into the super natural. The kids in my family would love to see this on the big screen. Valentine

[Katrina Mckeown]

I love your story telling exciting poetry. .....well penned

[katy B]

A very captivating and exciting read. I love to imagine how different this piece all played out in whoever has read it. Bravo. Thank you for sharing

[Coyote Poetry]

Good tale described my friend. Those Gypsy curses are dangerous. I like the use of strong description making the tale come alive. Thank you my friend for sharing the outstanding poetry.
Coyote

[softlyfall]

Ground control to Major Paget.
A wonderful magical mystery tour, I loved every swerve and burst of light. This appealed to so many of the "me's" in me.
Wonderful, just wonderful.

[Jane Winters Rogers]

Great visual descriptions, dramatic, exciting, when she opens her dress to reveal
" the screen" well I wasn't expecting that bit of "magic". I enjoyed the vivid picture of the bite to the bone and the river of blood...that was excellent.....
His deep desire for the gypsy girl was compelling. The wizard clothing was very attention getting and when you topped this poem off with the pile of tickets " outta here " rather than be swept away with his rusty cars!!! .......ha ha!! You are magical yourself sir! Thank you for sharing your work with us!

[R Smith]

Love this one David, I felt dazzled by the colors of the whole thing and a story straight out of the wildest imagination a truly wonderful poem my friend :)