Smooth iridescence,
shining luminescence,
silky strength and resilience;
trace tempting inlays
touched by musicians,
adored by pearly kings and queens.
Baglamas and bazoukis,
caviar spoons, buttons,
beautiful jewellery
warm to the skin,
sexy as satin, sultry and shimmering,
nacreous clouds and notional things.
Polly Stretton © 2020
Revised for napowrimo #8
journalread 
30/06/2012 at 23:56
Ooh, such a beautiful last line, and what a creative place to take the prompt. Very nice. k.
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30/06/2012 at 23:58
“Baglamas and bazoukis,
Caviar spoons, buttons,”
Love the sound of these lines!
When I was a child I was fascinated by my Mum’s button tin – and the mother of pearl ones I thought were literally magic….
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01/07/2012 at 00:32
Isn’t it funny, the words we like … I really thought about whether ‘nacreous’ should be in this poem as I feel it a not terribly attractive word … however, with a little thought and some softening clouds it sits there quite well perhaps …
Glad you like it k 🙂
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01/07/2012 at 00:34
Ah, nice of you to say so, Holly. We had button tins too and I loved the mother of pearl ones and those tiny rubber ones that no-one seemed to use – but you’re right MoP is magical 🙂
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01/07/2012 at 17:04
I was one of those dreamy children, always making up stories in my head about fairies and princesses… The mother of pearl ones were perfect for that.
But there were some horrible big brown and green ones too that made me think of snails!
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01/07/2012 at 18:01
Hey! Don’t diss the snails … that’s where most of the MoP comes from …
‘Widely used for pearl buttons especially during the 1900s, were the shells of the great green turban snail Turbo marmoratus and the large top snail, Tectus niloticus’ part of the research for the poem (heh-heh)!
Mind you, I think you refer to the horrible matt looking brown and green buttons that never seemed to move from the button jar / tin … they were there for ever as if no-one wanted them … they were doomed to life in a jar / tin and, yes, they were somehow reminiscent of the poor old snail …
Did you have the little rubber buttons? I think they were the ones that came off the bodices children were made to wear (at least I was) – a sort of undergarment like a waistcoat that one wore over the top of the vest and below the blouse – fitted over the top of the navy blue school knickers with a pocket for your hanky … yikes, I’m showing my age!
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01/07/2012 at 00:16
Gorgeous
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01/07/2012 at 00:38
Thank you 🙂
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01/07/2012 at 00:23
Gosh, you took me right back there with mention of the Pearly Kings and Queens. I miss them!
Lovely prose 🙂
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01/07/2012 at 00:36
There are many, many websites about those pearly kings and queens, Bren, you could have a trip down memory lane perhaps, now I’ve reminded you about them! 🙂
Glad you enjoyed my venture into buttondom.
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01/07/2012 at 00:33
Some great language in this piece
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01/07/2012 at 00:37
Thanks Danny 🙂
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01/07/2012 at 00:42
Nacreous is one of my favorite words, but it does inject a rather formal sort of tone–or maybe somber–either way, it doesn’t do so here in any bad way, and all the short phrasing works nicely to keep the imagery jumping. Enjoyed it.
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01/07/2012 at 00:46
Funny, the way we feel about different words – glad I used one that you really like – how interesting that you consider it formal – thank you so much for your nice comments – smiles
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01/07/2012 at 00:57
Beautiful wordings, Polly.
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01/07/2012 at 00:59
Thank you kindly Mary – good to see you here 🙂
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01/07/2012 at 02:02
A lovely flow of words……
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01/07/2012 at 07:41
Thank you kindly Sherry and thanks for visiting 🙂
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01/07/2012 at 02:27
Your diction is as iridescent as the mother of pearl, lovely!
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01/07/2012 at 04:29
What a lovely thing to say, Anna, thank you. So glad you enjoyed it.
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01/07/2012 at 02:30
wow nice polly…love your use of language…like that last line..and like how you took the prompt and expanded it….love the stylings on instruments with it for sure….well done…
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01/07/2012 at 04:43
Why thank you, Brian, for your very kind words and more especially for the prompt … always amazes me where things can go from a good prompt – heh-heh 🙂
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01/07/2012 at 02:41
Really charming; you’ve captured the beauty of the material, identifying its many uses in so much. Your words evoke its iridescent quality, allowing us to delight in its beauty as well.
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01/07/2012 at 04:45
I am glad it charmed you, Chazinator – and was astounded to find so many uses for the beautiful material – it is magical, a word Holly used for it earlier and so apt 🙂
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01/07/2012 at 03:04
“Mother of Pearl”, exactly what poetry should sound like when read aloud…
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01/07/2012 at 04:47
What a beautiful thing to say, thank you so much Lindy
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01/07/2012 at 03:16
I like the mother of pearl jewelry and items…warm and milky to the skin ~ Enjoyed your share ~
http://a-sweetlust.blogspot.ca/2012/06/koan-poems-sepia-sky-and-faded-lace.html
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01/07/2012 at 04:48
Yes, they are beautiful and I hoped everyone would identify that they do warm to body temperature, just like a diamond in fact!
Thank you so much for your comments.
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01/07/2012 at 06:20
Wow this is breathtakingly beautiful. and I sooo like the last two lines!
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01/07/2012 at 06:29
Many thanks for your lovely comments, Gian, delighted that you like Mother of Pearl 🙂
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01/07/2012 at 07:05
Great write Polly! The mother of pearl is chic! To think these need nature to help but you gave a perfect treatment to enhance the value!
Hank
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01/07/2012 at 07:08
Thanks for your comments Hank, Mother Nature is wonderful – I really liked your piece, too; very proper re etiquette and an interesting way to use Brian’s ace prompt 🙂
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01/07/2012 at 08:49
very creative take on the prompt polly…pearl has its kind of magic for sure..
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01/07/2012 at 09:34
Thank you for commenting, Claudia, it is the most fabulous stuff 🙂
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01/07/2012 at 08:50
Great start to my Sunday, with some of my favourite words, such as iridescence, baglamas, bazoukis (should that be bouzouki, though, if it’s the Greek instrument), sultry, nacreous. Rich and evocative.
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01/07/2012 at 09:37
Thank you for all your comments above, Marina, I am delighted that you visited – I’ve checked the Greek instrument … and it seems the plural of bazouki is bazoukis though there is some debate about baglamas / baglamades … (it’s all Greek to me!) I’ve left it as it is for now. Thanks for noticing, I’d much rather check these things out 🙂
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01/07/2012 at 11:19
Definitely a different take on the prompt. Beautiful poem!
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01/07/2012 at 17:51
Thank ‘ee kindly sir, she said 🙂 It’s extraordinary where these prompts can take one, all unexpected like!
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01/07/2012 at 12:03
Oh, this is magical – loved the flow to reading this.
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01/07/2012 at 17:52
Mother of pearl it seems is generally thought to be magical – it is simply lovely.
Thank you for your thoughts, Pam 🙂
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01/07/2012 at 18:06
Love this poem and the sounds you use – they play well against the words bringing the sounds of guitars and balalaikas in a room of well coiffed and highly embellished gentry. Strung together with sibilance and assimilation. A very elegant poem – buttoned to the highest order.
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01/07/2012 at 18:22
Thank you Gay – it is a pleasure to get feedback such as this – I am so pleased you enjoyed it and took the time to say so 🙂
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01/07/2012 at 23:58
Quite the flow you used for your verse, very nicely done.
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02/07/2012 at 12:41
Thank you for your thoughts, Pat.
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02/07/2012 at 08:35
Lovely and well done!
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02/07/2012 at 12:41
There seems to be something about mother of pearl that appeals … thank you for your comments Madeleine
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02/07/2012 at 19:29
Lovely word choices throughout, Polly!
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02/07/2012 at 22:16
Thanks Laurie – such a lovely topic – the prompt was ace 🙂
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03/07/2012 at 04:56
the contrasting textures make for great imagery
3 radio button senryu
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03/07/2012 at 18:33
This is the kind of poem I would read to Riley when she was 12 and tell her to write down words she didn’t know, then have her look them up. Built her vocabulary amazingly well. This is also a poem that adults and kids can enjoy! Thanks, Polly, sorry I’ve been absent but my post will explain:
http://sharplittlepencil.com/2012/07/03/snapshots-of-then-dverse-im-back/
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03/07/2012 at 18:37
Oh, poor you … those blue screens are pants! Glad to see you’ve probably fixed it.
Thanks for the tip on MoP – maybe it could go down OK on Saturday, will think on this one 🙂
Good to see you back Amy.
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03/07/2012 at 18:53
What a dreamy poem. I especially liked the last line, that’s making me imagine more…
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03/07/2012 at 23:52
…but you’re not saying ‘eh? heh-heh 🙂
Thanks for visiting and leaving your thoughts.
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08/07/2012 at 01:15
What beautiful contrasts! It all feels so sumptuous and smooth! 🙂
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08/07/2012 at 01:16
Thanks Alex 🙂
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02/08/2012 at 12:06
Lots and lots and lots of poetic images here! My head near spins (but then its late and I need sleep). Thank you for the response to WWP.
Sorry for the delay in getting you posted this time, but now your comment is up to see. I left you a more detailed description in response to that poem link comment. Sorry but your comment got caught by two WP snags. So so sorry for the delay.
neil
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02/08/2012 at 12:32
Thank you for your thoughts on ‘Mother of Pearl’ Neil ~ I was wondering what was happening when my post just wouldn’t appear on WWP and guessed it was something about being my first time of posting ~ you have some interesting prompts and I shall return.
Thank you again for rescuing the situation 🙂
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02/08/2012 at 13:36
Such a shimmery quality to your lines, Polly.
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02/08/2012 at 13:56
Ah, what a lovely thought Irene, thank you so much for visiting ~ good to make your acquaintance 🙂
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03/08/2012 at 23:33
Polly, I could not add to the accolades other than to say, that last line was the ultimate. I thought you had it all in there and then BAM! “Nacreous clouds and notional things. Just superb. Thanks, Polly! Thanks also for visiting my answer to the prompt and for all your kind words. Peace, Amy
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04/08/2012 at 04:38
It was good to find you on WWP and to see some of your work I might otherwise have missed Amy. Thanks for your thoughts on MoP, one of my preferred ‘darlings’ as it were 🙂
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04/08/2012 at 20:49
Wonderful. I look forward to reading more of your work in the future.
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04/08/2012 at 20:52
Thank you for your thoughts and for visiting 🙂
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08/04/2020 at 12:39
C’est dellicieux mon amie!
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08/04/2020 at 13:19
Ooh-la-la, you are a one, Léa – thank you for your lovely comment 🙂
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08/04/2020 at 16:44
Et toi aussi! 🙂
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