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Lawrence Lefferts Drank Here (villanelle)
by Ashley LaneI wonder what the lady would say
about the girl dancing on the bar
like she's the star of a third-rate play.
She would stake a curt sip of a bay
breeze. Too crude, too crude by far
is probably what the lady would say.
She would prefer something quiet, a cafe,
a more civilized place, a kinder hour
and no sign of a toxic third-rate play.
Who would want to watch the luscious sway
and stumble into a waiting car
avoiding the words a lady would say
to such a reckless creature. Away
with her! Away with the unpleasant subpar
action that comprises this third-rate play.
Tragic! A farce! An unseemly day.
There she is covered in feather and tar.
I might wonder what the lady would say
because no one proper enjoys a third-rate play. 06/21/2007 Author's Note: Lawrence Lefferts is a character in The Age of Innocence. He's basically 1870's society gossip/moral guardian who gets outraged on some scandal or another every time he was suspected of cheating on his wife.
Posted on 06/27/2007
Copyright © 2025 Ashley Lane
| Member Comments on this Poem |
| Posted by JD Clay on 07/04/07 at 04:57 PM Very crafty, Ashley! This marvelous piece strikes a puritanical nerve while staring change directly in the face. Prim and proper to say the least! Congratulations on becoming The Pragmatic Poet Of The Day. |
| Posted by Kyle Anne Kish on 07/04/07 at 07:06 PM This is a marvelous poem, Ashley. I have shyed awsy from villanelles, but you make me want to try one on for size. Congratulations on your POTD. |
| Posted by Quentin S Clingerman on 07/05/07 at 02:22 AM The lady would not be found in the bar to begin with. Right? An enduring satire on society whatever the era. |
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