She’s pierced by his eyes. 
They enter her, penetrating—
she feels like a butterflied 
specimen. 

The gas lamps warm her 
frozen fingers. Tourists 
back from winter lake cruises 
warm themselves with food 
and drink. As she serves them, 
she knows that soon, they will 
be overly warm. The bar/café 
is crowded, and alcohol 
will make them sweat. 

City chills this country queen. 
She sought excitement; 
ashamed to say she is 
homesick, she wants to sit 
by her parent’s fire, and forget 
those wolfish eyes. 

She’s a barmaid milk-fed, 
set against leisure. 
Knuckles red and raw. 
Suzon, her name
unknown to those she
serves. 

*A Bar at the Folies Bergere (oil on canvas, 1882) by French Impressionist painter Édouard Manet (1832-1883) is held by the Courtauld Gallery at the University of London (UK).

Image above was downloaded from Wikimedia:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=83676367

Links were retrieved on 12 September 2024.

Bio: Lynne Kemen