Often in the evening
Her silhouette appeared
In the two corner windows.
From across the thoroughfare
Passionate strains of Debussy or
Rachmaninoff filtered down into
The street as the clarion of her ritual.
Bathed in the light of many candles;
She moved sylphlike, concupiscent
Brushstrokes exposing the soul of
Unrequited passions
At times I surrendered to her
Beguiling in an effort to wash
Away the emotional fetor of
Clientele and restless patrons.
Life had become tedious
And there were very few
Inspirations anymore.
This vision was mine;
A purifying moment
That tranquilized the
Pecking beast in me;
A moment for my eyes
To imbibe the feelings
Of all that could never be
Seeing me gazing spellbound,
She would often float onto the
Balcony in her vapory peignoir;
Waving and blowing me kisses
Which I always caught in my soul
For inspiration when life darkened
And my heart became too heavy to bear.
Wide-eyed; I would always wave back
And then quickly retreat into the clamor
Of my eatery across the street.
Richard Lloyd Cederberg
My husband told me about your work. He’s reading your novels presently. Can’t get him away from them. LOL! This poem is really a beautiful and touching scene. The way you use words to paint the emotions and colors and smells of what the man is experiencing and thinking is truly impressive. Gretta
You have painted this scene with deliciously chosen words. Truly a marvelous scene that would translate well in other mediums. Splendid work.
Very beautiful, Richard – you have a gift not only for imagery, but for atmosphere – for ambiance. You took me into the “mood” of this poem with ease.
Mr. Cederberg,
You have characterized this exceptional scene with the eyes and heart of a poetic romanticist. Even the smells and sounds can be realized in this reader. The protagonists quixotic mindset, as he gazes up spellbound at the beautiful vision on the balcony, is palpable and very naturalistic. The two characters are so real to me that I feel that I know them, or could be one of them. Thankyou for posting this. I am going to share this with everyone at work.
~Nadine~