Unnamed until Tomorrow

Tantalizing beams of light break through thick velvet curtains,

Tickling eyelashes apart.

Just a minute more,

or two,

Whispered into heavily creased down pillows.

3 hours later and the day begins,

A drawn bath of lavender and milk water.

Egyptian cotton dries folds of -

Damn,

the housekeepers drank all the good champagne.

Afternoon teas and cricket matches forgotten,

Laying in fields of singing dreams.

Fingers sticky with raspberry filling,

Powdered sugar,

White as Mrs. Talbot’s headpiece during last night’s performance.

Smoky and dark,

A room of promises.

Warm caramel brandy,

Peacock feathers,

Garter belts.

Toil can wait for another day.

In my poem, “Unnamed until Tomorrow”, I tried to portray an overly zealous take on the lifestyle of the Aesthetic movement. I wanted to show a rich lifestyle, infused with some lethargy, but empty of guilt. I tried to include some synaethesia (“tantalizing beams”), and also some staples of the lifestyle that I am aware of (peacock feathers were a popular decoration, housekeepers often stole booze from their masters- and such is present in The Importance of Being Earnest). Even in the name of my art, I tried to show an accepted escape of duty. One may think it obligatory to name your art, but here I show the mindset of the time that nothing should be obligatory, and one shouldn’t feel guilt by escaping their obligations. Toil can wait for another day.