The fickle frets
I felt
in smell of sweat,
with odd
or even daisy-
petals dealt
in anxious wait
for you to spell
my doom
in black or bright
to heaven
or to hell
was a torment
dressed
in armored steel
and in senseless silk.
Courtship the Proposal by Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema
Quadrille for Kim at dVerse 44 words including the word fret.
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June 17, 2019
Björn Rudbergs writings 
My goodness what a nervous waiting! I must say though, that if you were giving me a proposal and smelled sweaty, I would decline – smiles.. a an excellent poem of how nervous swains must feel before giving that ultimate proposal.
Indeed… better use plenty of deodorant..
I adore this, I felt all the nervousness and the butterflies in stomach feeling!
I felt it just by writing.
Your title brought the Status Quo song to mind, What You’re Proposing, Björn – and they did have some fickle frets! I felt truly sorry for the protagonist of your quadrille story, having to wait so anxiously, in torment.
It’s tough to having to wait for the answer.
I love the soundplay, almost like a tongue-twister, and where you chose to break the lines. How the senseless and unimportant can have such weight upon the mind of the impassioned. This poem rocks, Bjorn!
When I proposed to my Melva, it was a third marriage for both us. I took her out to dinner, then sat on a park bench overlooking Puget Sound. I was so serious, talking for an hour about my hopes and expectations. Melva waited patiently for me to pop the question, saying”Yes, but damn, what took you so long?”
Great write, so vivid. And my husband says this is true. 🙂
By the way, my husband proposed by email (appropriate as we were long distance and met via a writing group) but I didn’t get the email right away… So more waiting for him, and he called me. I had no idea what he was talking about, so I read it, called him back, and said yes! I still have that proposal email. ❤
Oh how wonderful the picture goes with the poem. She is delighting in his fretting!
A torment dressed in armored steel and senseless silk… Well done!
This is exceptionally gorgeous! Armored steel ❤
I could feel his anxiety…I liked the part about the daisies…love me, loves me not…
I love that first stanza…the way you phrased the plucking of daisy petals…just wonderfully done.
The tension of being chosen or not. I liked the daisy petal reference.
Loved this Björn! Waiting makes it all frustratingly wonderful.
I would have said the silk was appropriate, the steel armour senseless 🙂
I love that the poem ends on the image of “senseless silk”
I could hear those nervous stutters in the tongue-twister like words. Poor guy. I wonder if she is indeed senseless or if she’s aware of what the wait is doing to him.
amored steel and senseless silk…….oh those two descriptives together say so much! Spell out the emotions so well!
The feeling of anxiousness is incredibly palpable here especially; “in smell of sweat, with odd or even daisy-petals dealt.” Gorgeous write, Bjorn! ❤️
This is a really cool quadrille! You are a master of this form.
Wonderful interpretation of the photo. I like the knowing look in her eyes, knowing she has the power, at least in that moment.
That kind of waiting is definitely fretful. (K)
I can feel the suspense.
I like the fret, Bjorn. What if she said no. (She was rolling her eyes in the picture?)
I can remember some of the times I proposed, can you? It was sort of like this but different. First time (I had been married before, that was altogether different. I don’t tell though.)
I do remember well, we were on a weekend jaunt to San Antonio and then up to Austin (all Texas). In Austin I suggested we get married, she said “No. I won’t say yes in Leap Year.” She’s been cute ands feisty now all the 46 years we’ve been married. We married in February of the next year.
..
Oh, that eternity between the proposal and the answer! Well done, Bjorn! 🙂
A sweaty proposal…hmmm. I guess it would depend on where the lady’s heart lies whether she could excuse the manly wafting. Love this!
I love the yin and yang of this interminable wait. Good one!
I love the “black and bright”-so true, how the situation commands light or shadows~ I love how you did this!
I like that image of the nervous fingers with the daisy petals!
Enjoyed your poem and then I looked at the image – she is all sass and he just hanging by a thread. What a funny photo.
Fun ekphrastic Björn. And suspenseful. I think I am cheering for him. Comedic juxtaposition of armor and silk.