20 May 2010

Stiffing the Bookie



Wordle created at http://www.wordle.net/
Stiffing the Bookie

crumpled taffeta
lies in piles—
capitulated caparisons
in patterns of light
across the bookie’s purse—
a tincture of risk
(rendered futile with glitch)

in the buff she bows and
pours three shots of 80 proof Smirnoff

two - tinctured with death

later she dresses,
catches her own eye
in the mirrored wall,
and grins,
sapient homo sapien

pocketing the purse,
she doffs her bowler
at that dead
fondling fool,
body already
starting
to cool


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Shout out to all the poets at Big Tent Poetry who provided the words for the wordle.  This piece was fun to write.  In some form, every word from the wordle shows up in Stiffing the Bookie.

20 comments:

Stan Ski said...

You can bet that was a good read... but don't just take my word for it...

Anonymous said...

the bowler's a nice touch. I like that title--if there isn't a mystery by that name, there ought to be.

vivienne blake said...

The start of a much longer story? Was the bookie wearing the taffeta? A cross dresser? The tinctures of risk and of death are really scary.

Unknown said...

She sounds like a nasty piece of work! I like the
"capitulated caparisons/in patterns of light"

Raven's Wing Poetry said...

I like "tinctured with death", and the whole thing left me with a chill. Nicely done.

-Nicole

Cynthia Short said...

This is terrific! How fun and imaginative...I loves me some murder poetry...
Your heroine is one I would love to hear more from.

flaubert said...

Excellent write and I am with Cinthia.
Pamela

brenda w said...

Thanks everyone! I'm glad you all like this piece.
@Vivienne-The murderess wore taffeta.
@Nicole-Woo hoo! I left your with a chill. Thanks for that..it makes me feel successful.:)
@Cynthia,Pamela & Vivienne...I teach school...my plan for the summer is to work with some of the characters from a few pieces, and see if I can't write a short story or two. Your encouragement helps! (School's out June 4th!!)
@Derrick-Yeah, she's nasty, but she just might have a reason or two. (hmmm... maybe I'll explore that further.)
@briarcat-I am a hat person. My bowler is a favorite...however, I've never murdered someone and then doffed it toward them. :)

rallentanda said...

I like the bowler hat as well.The movie 'The Unbearable Lightness of Being' is a testament to the bowler hat.I have never seen anyone look so good in one before or since.

brenda w said...

Rallentanda...Lena Olin (imho) is one of the most beautiful women in the world. Her bowler in the movie expression of Kundera's book is the main reason I own a bowler! Thanks for your comments...

Linda Watskin said...

I'm a mystery buff so I got right into this—great.

Linda Goin said...

Hi Brenda -- yep, I was bowled over by the bowler as well as by the story...taffeta and tinctures! Nice touch.

Ana said...

" a tincture of risk" and an assasin(e) wearing tafetta...I enjoyed it.

Tumblewords: said...

Nothing better than a stiffed bookie! Well wordled.

Mary said...

Pretty darned good for a poem that wrote itself!

brenda w said...

@Mary- I studied the words in the wordle, first...but it did come fast with little editing. I think that's what keeps me writing, those moments when the words give voice to themselves and amaze me.
@Ana, I always think of taffeta as crumpled somehow...it must be uncomfortable, and is definitely not in my closet! But, yeah, an assasine (as you say)who wears taffeta. I like it, too.
Thanks tumblewords for tumbling some words my way. When I see your pic in my comments, I smile. You look so dadburned friendly! :)

Anonymous said...

your muse goes to murder, mine to sex. naughty muses. though better a naughty muse than no muse at all! :)

Deb said...

It amazes me how many very different poems come to us all, even using ten or so of the same words.

Love the murder scene & the characters. (And the bowler is fabulous.) Well done!

angie said...

oh, I love it!!
(with one week left of school, I'm feeling a bit murderous myself...)

I love her sly quip: sapient homo sapien.

Francis Scudellari said...

Great play on words in the title, and a thoroughly enjoyable read throughout. I'm especially fond of that last stanza.