Lace Trimmed Petticoats

something light and fun after a few weeks of heavy material

Sometimes, I wish I had it in me 

   to just go sashaying down the street

  in lace trimmed petticoats, gathered at the side

             white gloves upon ladylike hands

                feshly manicured toes in 

   the latest fashion of heels,

              a bustle and demure top,

     hair style neatly coiffed and 

         falling just in that way-

reined in and evoking visions of rainbows

     and butterflies in hearts of men 

         with every delicate footfall

        and understood by you women,

               nary a stray thought of ungoodness

        to worry anyone´s pretty head,

           least of all my own. 

I would bestow blessings like a lamb,

    smile prettily and bat my eyelashes 

         at biceps and mustaches,

       give deference to children

           and rescue stray kittens on 

               every trip to the grocery store,

     shyly raise my skirts to the 

         smooth white knee

              when negotiating the price of a cab.

Alas, I fear early childhood grass stains 

    never wash out of some knees, 

         and hair never tames into place again

 after some women gallop stallions bareback 

           across open meadows 

              on mountaintops. 

I fear neither my mother nor I

  ever wore virginal Confirmation white

      with any sort of aplomb. 

       

Author's Note

to the person whose review I removed, who rated me a 0/100 (the ratign remains, of course)

I sure hope that you got some satisfaction out of feeling so damned superior to me. Glad I could stroke your ego today.

Reviews

[Emily B]

my good white petticoat is all stained on the bottom, i need to do something with it, i generally eschew the hoops and laces and gloves and bonnets for corded petticoats and work dresses, i find the furniture is safer

do the clothes make the woman? i think sometimes they do

my oldest wore a dress to the rotc ball, she was a knockout, but she drew the line at heels and make up, that was just too far

maybe i should cut that petticoat off and add some lace :)

[Marie Anzalone]

This was, for me, a total romp to write. I was never comfortable in skirts until 3rd year of college when friends helped me discover Ren-Faire and the wonders a corset could do for the world's flattest bosom. I now can do the skirt and even the make-up thing, and have a brown velvet sequined bodice gown that hugs my curves in this wonderfully snsual way that I will totally rock again for the right man one day. But manicures? Batting eyelashes? Tamed hair? I fear there are some aspects of femininity for which I will always be a total outsider.

I tend toward the extremely practical as well, though I will admit a secret passion for black lace.

My advice? Yes, we do need to feel lace whisper against our laegs and arms sometimes. I say totally upgrade those petticoats. It is time. it took me a long time to learn that it does not detract form our intelligence to indulge that side a little.

maybe I will consider a pedicure one day, too, just to say I did it once and the world survived.

[Emily B]

my feet are rough from going barefoot, i don't want tame feet with pedicured toes . . . i just can't get excited about it

[Marie Anzalone]

By the end of every summer, I can walk across hot gravel with no pain. I mourn that day in October when shoes become mandatory, revjoice on the first spring day when I can squish in cold mud again. :-)

[Eileenws]

I like how you talk about wearing a dated inpractical garment and explained what you would do wearing it. It shows that times have changed and women have come a long way. That's what I took out of the poem. I enjoyed it. Eileen

[Marie Anzalone]

Thanks, Eileen, I am glad you enjoyed it. There are some days (many, actually) where I myself feel outdated and impractical. I look around at these polished women around me and wonder if I am missing a piece of my X-chromosome or something. So this? This was a total romp.

I appreciate you stopping by. Thank you!

[john alan willox]

this is great - "biceps and moustaches" - "saving kittens daily" - "negotiating a cab" i just love the whimsy in this and the dichotomy of the real and imagined - bet mother is proud - white is so hard to carry off...

[Marie Anzalone]

Thanks, John, your review made me smile. This one was totally tongue-in-cheek. I am glad you picked up on that! I think my mother is not so much proud as completely understanding when she looks at me and just shakes her head. Over the years I have brought home wounded grouse, baby snakes, peacock eggs, and an orphaned fox cub. Lord knows what she expects me to find in terms of a husband some day?

Appreciate you stopping by.

[john alan willox]

LOL - well if you're looking for a broken down old man with love handles and house trained - i'm your man :)

[Marie Anzalone]

house trained? well now you have piqued my interest :-) Did not realize there were many of them left. Alas, I seem to have become quite spoken for of a sudden and late. Curiosity- you a Coehn fan? "I'm Your Man?"

[john alan willox]

i love Leonard - he's the one got me started on this frustrating path too many years ago

[Marie Anzalone]

I hear he is remarkably good for that. If I ever get married, want to use one of his as my wedding song. Shows what kind of sick puppy I am. :-)

[john alan willox]

there's always "hallelujah" - which is better i guess than "closing time"- i mean for weddings :)

[Marie Anzalone]

dunno... Closing Time describes the only type of wedding ceremony I could ever hope for, given my friends. But I really was thinking more of the live version of "Dance Me to the End of Love." provided I marry someone who understands English. You never know with me.

[john alan willox]

i love those types of weddings - my first was scottish/ukranian - hard to tell which ran out first - the scotch or the vodka :)

[Marie Anzalone]

I was recently at a wedding where the groom was a NY Jew and the bride a Peruvian Catholic. The theme music was Godfather on live mariachi. They raised the bride, groom, and in-laws on wooden chairs to a Mexican hat dance. The bridesmaids wore skin-tight low cut red lycra. The second dance was a salsa. To say we had a great time was na understatement! I say, if you're gonna put yourself through the agony of getting married, might as well make it memorable!

[Corset]

oh i just read your comments, i've never remembered to "rate" someones writing, if that is important i'll be sure to do for you :) you are 100/100 always, i've not read anything short of miraculous from you yet...
in a lot of ways your writing reminds me of Dana's , you are like a female counter part, I can think of no higher praise for your work, I would kill (figuratively) to write like Dana, lol, or perhaps Dana is influenced by your works...lol, either way both are phenomenal in each and own way.

[Marie Anzalone]

The ratings only matter to me because I watch them to see how well I am reaching an audience, or not. That being said, it is extremely immature to wage war on someone's ratings for the sake of destryign their credibility as a writer. I mena seriously, like get a freaking life, right? LOL dana. I proclaim that dana is the best poet still on site; he says the same about me. I am pretty sure he has to be joking. I don't see it, but neither I would wager, does he. We all influence each other to some extent- convos with other wirters have led to inspiration and influence in style. I sometimes catch myself trying to think like dana, or Emily, or Diego, or Jeff... or other writers; Neruda is a heavy influence in my mind's convos. I think we all reflect off each other, searching for our own voice. Isn't that what a writers cafe is for?

[Corset]

absolutely, I am devastated that Diego has left over this. I loved reading him, now we all have to miss out on such a great mind because of one persons actions. I hope he comes here today and reads your messages here with me and comes back, it's not fair to punish the whole class for what one ill informed person has said or done. I always hated when teachers did that.

[Marie Anzalone]

My 7th grade teacher accused me of plagiarism in front of my entire class, and gave us an in-class assignment to "trap me." When I wrote just the same in front of her, she gave me a private apology, and then starting fawning all over me. I hated that just as much. And yes, to punish the whole for one malcreant was never fair, and never acknowledged the good of the individuals.

Ah, Diego. He left and took a good piece of many hearts with him, I would wager... so much of mione it hurts to breathe here without him. He is on another more professional site; I know becuase I recommended both him and dana for it. I may try to reach out to him through there. I'll PM it to you- don't want to announce his business to the whole word.

[Corset]

ohno, never ever wear white after labor day or at all if you can help it, white adds pounds to a figure as does sideways stripes, I learned this recently when looking at a pic I was in with horizontal stripes, and zebra print, oh hell, best to leave that for seat cushions. I was always a tomboy too growing up on the farm is not conducive to feminity, nd if asked my opinion on anything there is nothing more beautiful than "grass stains" that

"never wash out of some knees, and hair never tames into place again, after some women gallop stallions bareback across open meadows on mountaintops. "

what a better vision to fall in love with? I always wanted to be the prissy perfect girl, I wanted to wear the corsets and bat my eyes too, even for just a little while, being as none descript as I am, very normalish, very girl next door, nothing much at first glance. Some one once said to me while i was sunbathing at the poolside at an apartment complex I used to work at (hence my breakdown over your use of "b***h manager" long story short, believe it or not b***h manager was a term of endearment at one time and I reveled in it, anyway, Calgon took me away) there was a man there that lived there and after about 5 hours and red as a lobster , oily with no makeup, a guy who has seen me numerous times before dressed up for work comes up to me out of the blue and tells me " he never noticed before today how beautiful I really was" lololol..thanks dude...lol, but sometimes it's true, some men prefer woman nude of all smoke screens, wild and natural like the sea breeze....so don't ever feel that you are not beautiful, we are, to someone fabulous, the RIGHT someone fabulous, we are Beautiful.

[Marie Anzalone]

B***h manager? Too funny, Corset; so sorry things went sour for you there. I remember being in like 9th or 10th grade, minding my own business, being- well, me. Someone who meant well took me aside, gave me some advice. "Look she said, you are nice enought, and kind of pretty, in an old-fashioned way. You could be popular- if you cut and dye your hair, wear different clothes- and give up reading so much." Seven years later I found myself, hair untamed down to my waist, waist cinched in a homemade leather corset that performed miracles of cleavage on a 34B chest; brandishing a sword and singing raunchy ballads with the swordsman who forged the swords for Braveheart and our circle- the best friends I ever had outside of WC. I have never in my life spoken an a breathy little girl voice. I sometimes wish I had even the faintest clue where to even begin caring about such things. I always figured the guy who I married would have to be able to spend a night out on a mountain top with me anyway. Recently had someone offer to feed me strawberries- by hand. He wears nylons with tees. I cringed, asked him if homeboys like camping? He said absolutely- loves it. I am so glad I am in another country now. You just never know what might happen.

[Marie Anzalone]

PS yes, we are stunning, beautiful beyond belief when we come from a place of power. Goddesses in mortal form, searching for the elixir of immortality by the light of the moon.

[OBWhiteHawk]

This is lovely, a nod to older days and different times as well as a confirmation of a tomboy who lives inside of you, I love the part about grass stains on the knees. You can still bestow blessings like a lamb, though, even in overalls and a baseball cap.

[Jen]

.

[Marie Anzalone]

your feedback is scintillating in its depth, "punisher." thank you for the punctuation mark and 0% rating. much appreciated.

[ríða andlit]

How ingenious is this comment?! I'm floored by equal's command of the English language and to take the time to write such a thoughtful review?! Wow, equal should forever be held as a shining example!

[Coyote Poetry]

"shyly raise my skirts to the
smooth white knee
when negotiating the price of a cab."
Woman who control their world with beauty and grace. Can always get their way. Thank you for the entertaining and fun poem to read. A outstanding tale in the poem.
Coyote

[Marie Anzalone]

thanks for stopping by, Coyote, and glad I could make you smile. I amstill learning the whole beauty and grace thing. I am more the type to whip out a broadsword, I [sort of] regret to say.

[John Jackson (El Juero)]

Love love love it! I bet you look marvelous in petticoats. I picture Guatemalan petticoats to have a colorful, Indigenous flair...
Fine work. Light, with a pensive undertone.

[Marie Anzalone]

Smiling here. How wonderful to see a review from you! And yes, it was actually the Mexican folk style dresses I was contemplating first when I started writing this in my head, while avoiding ankle-eating holes and delicately stepping around dog turds and drunks on the streets and sidewalks one day. Those outrageous bold colors, that dignity. Think Frida. Just a look I fear I will never pull off.

And thank you, too, for seeing that there is some amount of pensivity under this. Alway blessed to see you stop by. BTW, if your travels ever bring you this far south, let's do lunch.

[John Jackson (El Juero)]

I would love that! Don't know when...but tomorrow never knows.

[Marie Anzalone]

plan to be here a little while... no rush that I know of

[Ken Simm.]

No I don't see you as that. You are Dorelia John when it comes to what you should wear. Trust me I'm an artist.

[Marie Anzalone]

Had to look this one up, but I will take the comment as a compliment most high.
Not only an artist, but a damned good one, with a very keen eye. I am duly impressed. I have not had the peace of mind to paint much in years, but if you wander through my photos, you will see a few of my own attempts. May post a few more for the purpose of sharing with those of us who attempt the dual torture of rejection in both poetry AND art, LOL!

[Ken Simm.]

Stop that. Not dual torture at all as well you know. So stop fishing and by the way you are much too good to use LOL. :)

[Marie Anzalone]

lesson taken. sorry.
but fishing? Naw. Not fishing. Sharing, yes.

[Ken Simm.]

Yes sharing. Meant it kindly as you have no need to say its torture. It is skill. Plural skills.

[Marie Anzalone]

thanks- I actually really needed to hear that today. it has been a little rough for me on here, recently.

and I will tell you, sometimes my writing does feel like I use my own blood. Some would tell me that just means I am doing it correctly. I have been known to labor for a year and ahalf over a single painting, too.

[Ken Simm.]

I know how it pulls. But would you rather not?

[Marie Anzalone]

I used to think that, Ken, whe I was in my 20s, and nothing seemed to fit properly. Now I am glad I pushed through. I still have my days. Who of us does not?