Monday, February 7, 2011

Tuesday Poem - Absurd Hats 1909 by Jennifer Compton

Absurd Hats 1909
Filmed by James McDonald

Lady Ward (Theresa) was renowned for the size of her hats
her husband's hat is just as ridiculous although vertiginous
hers is an intricacy of folds and tucks - his is a chimney.

Their marital glance, uncertain, as they flicker in the garden
mouthing - What should I say? Is that machine working?
but they seem accustomed to hoisting hats out of proportion.


It's very annoying and frustrating but I wanted to post a poem by Vincent O'Sullivan this week, and first off I had internet issues, then when that came good I discovered that this blog wouldn't respect indents and rushed everything back to the left margin. I couldn't find out how to fix it. AND it won't do italics. There are meant to be some italics in the little poem of mine I am posting as a stop gap.

Anyway, anyway - this is a poem I picked up while I was at an exhibition at the National Library in Wellington. They were absurd hats and the thing that really gave me the giggles is that they seemed to be wearing representations of their genitals on their heads. "Hers was an intricacy of folds and tucks - his was a chimney."

2 comments:

  1. Jennifer, I have the same frustration with indentation--if you find the answer let me know.

    A fun little poem, I enjoyed it--thank you.

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  2. I can really picture that couple and their phallic/"Vaginic" hats. Very visual. Thanks for posting.

    P.S. Is there a female equivalent of "phallic"? I don't know of one.

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