people avoid
his invitations
to be
seated among
manikin friends

he dresses them in
the latest trends

someone quips,
“they look quite lifelike”

“yah,
like most people”

after guests leave
he starts rearranging

arms lifted
faces turned




Stella Read
April 28, 2010

Fun night out.
Enjoyed this a lot, Stella.
It makes me think of a guy who makes outfits for Barbies, one for each friend or family member, as in Tom Riordan Barbie or Stella Read Barbie.
Count yourself lucky here!
Tom

I thought the same thing Tom did Stella, except 'fun night out'.  I missed that.  Struggling with what's really happening here.  It's obvious someone is control of something here, but what?

Hi Stella,

I'm not 100% what's going on here but it is quite compelling.

I'm thinking some sort of obsessive type whose hobby doesn't make sense to anybody else?

There is a sense of progression through the poem, so that carries the read through nicely, I'm just not quite sure where we have arrived by the end.

HTH

Ian

thanks, Tom, Cheryl & Ian
suffice to say this is based on a local character with manikin fancies..
he dresses them and poses them around his house

not judging the gentleman ~
just imagining the least of what might be going on


Stella

It's funny Stella, what you say the poem is about is exactly what the poem seems to talk about.  But it's such an odd thing to imagine the real thing, I just thought you were talking about something else and I was missing it.  Good job on an odd realization.            cheryl

stella for me this read as a somewhat morbid avenue from your usual delicate voice.  i felt this piece to be dark, drawn shades, the serial killer molding and modeling his victims for his own pleasure and viewing.  for me the narrator's "secret" is exposed by the bystander "quipping", which elicits his response of normalcy.  in light of your response i know i am off base on your intentions, but i still wanted to share my response.  as always, enjoyed stella.  lawrence

I guess the only response I can find, Lawrence, is that I am pleased you didn't find it delicate.
it really wasn't meant to be. a disturbing situation. you read between the lines.


Stella

Creepy, but oddly not pathetic. What is he doing at the end, I wonder? Adjusting them to be like the people who've just left? Fascinating.

what's so interesting is this character's attempts to "arrange" the real people, who are also lifelike to him -- especially once he gets them in the right poses after they leave.
am going to put thiis in Picks now... Tom

Hmmm, think I might know a similar character, so it's amazingly 'lifelike' to me. Enjoyed.

I like this Stella, and echo all the above about the darkness of it.  I wonder if you left off the word friends form the end of line 5, the whole might become even clearer?

dear Stella

congratulations that your poem is now resting in the editor's nest
where there is assuredly a wide array of manikins !

for what ever reason .......there is here something like a David Lynch
"Blue Velvet " movie feel.......or an exacting canvas of Charles Pfahl
http://www.charlespfahl.com

well done !

silent lotus

Yes, Silent Lotus, i was thinking the plastic lives of normal people that Lynch likes to dig beneath.
I thought the manikins were people the narrator likes to arrange in his life; behave the way
he expects. We all do that to degrees.

The balance between starkness, theme, and analogy (potential) seems to lend
this poem its charm, at least to me.     

appreciate your words, Pam. good question...waving? or a salute of sorts...

thanks, Tom. haven't been around much in the last few days. what a nice surprise!

thanks, Doris .. lol

Sue, you might have something there. will have a look in the morning and consider modifying. thank you
 
wild link Silent!, will spend some time exploring. thank you for such a kind reply

well put Scott. thank you for your insightful response


Stella