fleshplumes

Pink Feather eye-lashes, originally uploaded by Georgia de Lotz*.

for beauty we totter and preen
chemically fragranced and clean
risking blisters and rough rashes

we laugh at birds of paradise
for their long feathered vanities,
brilliant plumes and bright flashes

but how can we laugh at these birds
when humans are quite as absurd
and wear pink, plumey false lashes?

This follows up two prompts at poefusion – to write a novo otto (9 line poem with 8 syllables per line, rhymed aab ccb ddb) and to write a poem inspired by the title “fleshplumes.”

The title immediately reminded me of going shopping a few days ago and coming across a huge range of eyelashes, including bright coloured feathery ones! I was tempted to buy some just for the sheer eccentricity of the idea. But I’m sure I’d only glue them to my nose by accident, thus descending to the truly ridiculous…