Artist

Alexander Averin

Sunday 29 June 2014

A Game of Patience






A Game of Patience, 1937, Meredith Frampton




Dressed in blue-stocking grey, to match the sharpness 
of her intellect, Margaret Austin-Jones 
sits alone in solitary pursuit. 
Her eyes deep hazel, her hair sweet chestnut, 
crimped in waves so neat and precise they match her
manner and the cut of her dress, (modern, 
Vogue-patterned, made for her with care).
Although she's up-to-date, she is but
young and wise in every way but love.
Like Eve she yearns too much for life, desires
to taste the apple, touch  the texture of 
the ears of corn, impatient for the blood- 
red buds to bloom. She hears a footfall on 
the stair, her heartbeat pounds, she glances at
the door.  Like a scene from a novel, in
a room with a view, the dramatic part 
has come; she has played a patient game of 
waiting for a suitor to appear, has 
craved and dreamed herself a handsome, kindly
knave but little knows she may have drawn instead
a darkly evil, scheming, King of Spades.



Cait O’Connor




This is Sunday's Magpie Tale, read others here


27 comments:

Anonymous said...

You've painted a delicate picture.

Dana Dampier said...

King of spades... she better be careful with that one! He sounds like trouble! Great poem!

BelindaBroughton said...

i wish her luck

BelindaBroughton said...

i wish her luck

Frances Garrood said...

I really like this one, Cate.

Teresa Evangeline said...

I can relate.

Helena said...

I never trusted those card monarch's - Jack of hearts used to deal kindly way back!

Eddie Bluelights said...

Ooooow!
A king of spades!!
Well lady go for it - just this once! - it might just put a smile on your face!

She looks as though there is MUCH more on her mind than clock patience.

Loved this poem very much Cait and your thinking is not too dissimilar to mine, just posted. ~ Eddie

Theresa Milstein said...

I like your close attention to the picture. My favorite part:
Like Eve she yearns too much for life, desires
to taste the apple, touch the texture of
the ears of corn, impatient for the blood-
red buds to bloom.

Leovi said...

Delicious description, I adore you waves of her hair! Yes, life is about living with patience!

Kathe W. said...

excellent and suspenseful!

Jinksy said...

I love the way you placed the picture-poem in the correct time zone with your words. :-)

Stafford Ray said...

Brilliant! And using the King of Spades was the master stroke!

Ginny Brannan said...

Ah, tis not the game of singles solitaire she should be playing, but the game of 'life' itself. Sometimes one must get past the knaves and the king of spades to find the king of hearts, their 'ace in the hole!' A lovely and descriptive story you have woven here, I really enjoyed it!

Frances said...

Well told, Cait. I wish the lady will have courage to trade her card game for intrigues with very unpredictable destinations.

xo

Anonymous said...

Love the poem and images you portrayed. I like that you put a name the lady, making her seem more alive. The reference to Eve was perfect.

Berowne said...

Is that you on the left? :-)

Cait O'Connor said...

Couldn't be more unlike me Berowne!

Elizabeth said...

Cait, this is WONDERFUL
a positive short story in a poem.
I wonder what happens next?
What acute observation of the picture and what wonderful links...room with a view etc.
A bravura performance.
Gosh - loved it.
Am finally working on a post about why I write.....
several months late!

Amrit Sinha said...

Wow ... that last line ... too good :-)

A Cuban In London said...

I think verse and brush go hand in hand in this poem. :-)

Greetings from London.

Vee said...

Astute observations and masterful descriptions. Wonderful! What an interesting meme. Must pass it along to another poet friend I know.

Truedessa said...

She yearns too much for life, desires..temptation lingers..

humbird said...

Love how patiently you're drawing her portrait. But too innocent...she can draw some negative attention...~ nice fit for the picture.

Susan Anderson said...

Okay. This one is perfect.

=)

Mary said...


A great descriptive piece of writing Cait. The King of Spades ...emmm ...sounds like it won't be a happy ending for us romantics! Well written.

Relyn Lawson said...

This is absolutely fabulous. I love, love, love it. You have prompted me to write something more than lists today. Thank you.