degas dreamer

miss reznick watches on

giving slight, unforgiving nods

as we complete barre stretches. 

supple back, hips turned out

shoulder blades like wings. 

i dream of becoming a real ballet girl

performing on stage at the joffrey

a prima with hair sprayed

to perfection and diamonds

glinting against my ears. 

a costume of fine tulle and silk

smooth upon my ribs and tapering

to my narrow waist. 

to appear as a sylph or a swan

and be adored by the crowd, 

roses at my feet, 

as a full orchestra fills me up 

not just a single practice room piano. 

a slap below my drooping elbow

snaps me back to reality as i realize

i don't know the steps to the combination

that has just been called out. 

the looking glass shows me 

that my knees and elbows

are too large for my thin frame. 

and the painter never watches me

the way he watches anna or josephine

with their angelic hair and long necks. 

i think about the world fading--

orange becoming tan, blue disappearing

to grey, red waning to nothing more

than a blush and mama

draining the bottom of the absinthe bottle

every night since papa got sick. 

she used to tell me

that my shoulder blades

were like the wings of a sylph.

now she is silent as she stumbles and sways

and my dreams of the stage and admiration

sink like petals to the ground

and like mama into a poison induced

sleep. 

Author's Note

something a bit different for me, inspired by the paintings of degas

Reviews

[Corset]

I always admired the Degas Ballerina series, I even used to sneek into the orphanage attic and pull out the old taffeta dresses that were stored in there and made "plays" with/for the other children where I played the ballerina in my mind. This brought back that memory, it was a good one, which makes me appreciate this poem all the more.

[Dana Alsamsam]

i'm so happy i could bring back a memory like that for you :) although it's fiction, much of these emotions stemmed from my desire to be a professional dancer and knowing that it won't happen. thanks for reading and for your kind words!

[Corset]

Thank you :) I know what that's like, I wanted to be a dancer once upon a time as well, I don't have the stature for it unfortunately.

[Astro]

Harrowing, but masterfully written in dance language and destructive imagery. Tells a sad story but in a beautiful way. Well done Dana.

[annabellee]

wow that was really fantastic. you captured the feelings of this girl very well. your imagery like always is fantastic I could totally picture her standing on stage.
Gorgeous poem :)

[Dana Alsamsam]

thank you- your kind words are much appreciated!

[annabellee]

you're most welcome :)

[Lizzi]

WOW!!! This is unreal. I find that one of the biggest talents is writing on the spot by looking at an image or picture like this. I use to be able to do it. I forgot how great of an exercise it is. You just really inspired me. Great work:)

[Dana Alsamsam]

it means the absolute world to me that i was able to inspire someone! thank you so much for stopping by and reading my work and for your glowing reviews! :)

[kublakhan27]

This is an incredible piece Dana...you've captured the spirit of the art as well as it can be done by words, and then some...the story you tell is a sad one but all the more relateable for that reason...it says a lot about life, particularly family life, behind closed doors, away from teachers and audiences...I was totally taken aback by this piece...wonderful.

[Dana Alsamsam]

thank you so much! so many things and situations in the fine arts world go unspoken and behind closed doors as i'm sure many poets can relate to. thank you dearly for your kind words :)

[kublakhan27]

Very true, and I do relate...always a pleasure :)

[Girl Friday (Sarah W.)]

to appear as a sylph or a swan
and be adored by the crowd,
roses at my feet, -- beautiful in its tangibility, but also in the metaphor--I think we all dream of this, with our own little spin.

now she is silent as she stumbles and sways
and my dreams of the stage and admiration
sink like petals to the ground
and like mama into a poison induced
sleep. -- really strong ending...

This one told a story. I really felt myself connecting to, and feeling with, the narrator of this piece. Life sometimes gets in the way of our dreams, it is the way of the world, but we can't give up on. I felt the loss, and the distinct feeling of hopelessness in this one, and it truly tugged at my heart. Well penned.

[Dana Alsamsam]

thank you so much for your glowing review of this piece. i used a different technique of sort of weaving my emotions into anothers story... and like you said we all have a speck of hopelessness just like this little ballet girl. thank you :)

[Ruth]

This is a beautiful display of holding onto dreams and realising them with such intensity and then we sometimes are grounded...wrenching in a way but so beautifully expressed x

[Dana Alsamsam]

thank you so much!

[Tomahawk Joe]

I liked this one you are so illustrative with your words it keeps me wanting to read more.

[Dana Alsamsam]

thank you for your always kind reviews!

[Richard]

is that degas there the ballerina?

I really adore odilon redon ...
anyway, this poem, your poem, the poem, it really is lovely :)

[K. Louis]

Dana, this was a beautiful poem. Great imagery, great story, great characterization development...not much else I can say. I truly enjoyed this. Well done!

[Dana Alsamsam]

thank you so much!