Monday, May 14, 2012

Tahitian Conversion

                        Gaugin

THE MAG
supplied the pictorial prompt

TAHITIAN CONVERSION

We were having the usual argument when this artist man walked in.
My two brothers sat at the table; the meal was about to begin.
I'd cut the yams and the breadfruit; I'd mixed the maize in the pot;
All my brothers had to do was sit and scoff the lot.
'We had this for dinner yesterday' said Brother Number One;
'I always feel very hungry when I've been sitting in the sun'
'You're supposed to look after us!' said Brother Number Two;
'Girls have to do the minding; that's all they're fit to do!'
'Father will probably beat you if we tell him!' both of them said!
'We wanted a meal of sucking pig and you've given us this instead!'
The artist man said 'Hold it! Those expressions I must get!'
And that was how he captured me becoming a Suffragette!
*
P.S. I have no idea what Tahitians actually eat!
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                                                                   Tournier
THE MERRY MAKERS

'Let us make merry' said Pierre to Henri;
'Let us visit the local hostelry;
Let us find a wench who'll do us proud;
Wenching's something a man's allowed.
We'll hire a musician, and order food,
And get the young lady in the mood.
The younger the better, it seems to me,
When it comes to a night of debauchery.'
They found a wench in need of a shilling,
One who pretended to be quite willing.
They rented a room, the music played,
And, on the table, food was laid.
Claudette was pale and unprepared,
Scarcely formed and mute and scared.
In came Gaston, a slip of a lad,
Expressionless and plainly clad;
A village boy just earning a sou,
A boy whose heart was strong and true.
Pierre and Henri were steeped in wine;
They didn't see the girl's eyes shine.
They didn't see the look of love......
Love wasn't wasn't what they were thinking of.
The waiter fumbled  and hesitated
Serving two men he already hated.
What had she whispered into his ear?
'It's a way of making money, my dear.
Think! We can name our wedding day!
These are rich men! They will pay!'
The food was gone, the musician departed.
And Gaston withdrew,
Broken-hearted.
*


8 comments:

Silent Otto said...

Great fun , R- squared, i have just started reading " the second sex" , which something in me is extremely reluctant to do .

Trellissimo said...

Gauguin certainly caught a look of suffering on those faces...

Unknown said...

Women certainly had a difficult time through the ages, manufacturing a destiny for themselves. Love your poetry. Thanks for sharing, Rinkly. =D

Carrie Van Horn said...

I am with Trellissimo....you have captured the suffering indeed!
:-)

Dave King said...

Oh, this is superb! It is good all the way from line one, but the last line sends it stratospheric!

Berowne said...

Remarkably inventive - and enjoyable...

Helen said...

Great poems ....

Tess Kincaid said...

Reminds me of my own children when they were small...two sons and a daughter between...oh the arguments!