Lady Aberline likes Jazz
You're not putting your hand up my dress.
Yes, I will build schools, figure puzzles and talk to animals-
but I am not open for your imagination.
Kin to puppets with weekday names, I shimmy
through life with a boring bun and blue jean jumper.
I crush the track with my bowed Sam and Libby's,
I can't work in the factory or
preside over the museum with ruddy cheeks--
but Handy Man Negri and I have our fun
in jazz clubs far from Make Believe Land.
The smoke thick rooms fill my hair as Negril
wails on the lost dings of the trolley that
makes it all real. Thinking on the delivery of
the day-the only human contact through the wall
and the change of the sweater vest leaves me trapped
unable to taste the flakes of real life slipping away.
I'm known for this because it is my name.
You're not putting your hand up my dress.
Yes, I will build schools, figure puzzles and talk to animals-
but I am not open for your imagination.
Kin to puppets with weekday names, I shimmy
through life with a boring bun and blue jean jumper.
I crush the track with my bowed Sam and Libby's,
I can't work in the factory or
preside over the museum with ruddy cheeks--
but Handy Man Negri and I have our fun
in jazz clubs far from Make Believe Land.
The smoke thick rooms fill my hair as Negril
wails on the lost dings of the trolley that
makes it all real. Thinking on the delivery of
the day-the only human contact through the wall
and the change of the sweater vest leaves me trapped
unable to taste the flakes of real life slipping away.
I'm known for this because it is my name.
*This came from the exercise of writing from another character's voice. Lady Aberline is the woman in Mister Roger's Neighborhood. After doing some research about her and Handy Man Negril, I found out that both were someone famous on the jazz scene as well. There may be too many allusions here, but I like speaking from her voice.
After reading this draft, I must first say that it contains quite a bit of very interestingly poetic language. (I especially enjoyed the assertiveness of the speaker in the opening line). I do however agree with your comment following the draft; allusion seems to carry quite a lot of weight in the poem.
ReplyDeleteHow could we use the great poetic language of this draft while cutting back on the responsibility of the reader to research the allusions? Could it help to maybe get away from the truth a bit?
What possibilities exist in fleshing out the image of the jazz club (this was one of the most interesting parts of the poem for me). What if we were to come back to that assertive tone of the speaker and the sexual innuendo from the first stanza? One venue for exploration that seems to have potential here is experimenting with the relationship between Lady Aberline and Handy Man Negri? What if we stayed with them in that smokey jazz club and then followed them back home after the club closed?
I totally agree. Thanks for that grounding.
ReplyDelete