This Ain’t Kansas

lillian

You blew into town,
slicked back hair, muscle shirt.
Swaggered in with a cocksure grin,
ordered whiskey shots.
Tom Jones dropped in the jukebox,
pulsed heart throb beats.
Women groveled, blushed and fawned
Me? I dropped the cue,
clicked my heels and sashayed out.

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A quadrille (44 words) written for dVerse Poet’s Pub. Grace is tending bar and asks us to think about the word twister.  Also applying for day 18 in NaPoWriMo. Photos are two free images fused together.

49 thoughts on “This Ain’t Kansas”

  1. Linda Kruschke April 18, 2016 / 5:56 pm

    Ah, a twist without the actual word. Very nice. And I’ve seen that swagger. I’d say sashaying out was probably a good move.

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    • lillian April 18, 2016 / 5:59 pm

      🙂 A take-off on the twister that Dorothy was caught in with her red sequined shoes.

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    • lillian April 19, 2016 / 8:57 am

      Thanks so much, Victoria! It’s a real honor — and glad you liked this one! 🙂

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  4. nmykel April 18, 2016 / 6:45 pm

    I was thinking “These boots are made for walking.” Nice. I’ll have to learn more about fusion.

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    • lillian April 18, 2016 / 6:50 pm

      It’s a really neat ap that creates double exposures 😊 and it’s free!

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  5. Grace April 18, 2016 / 7:21 pm

    That is some woman ~ Love the : clicked my heels and sashayed out.

    Thanks for playing along Lillian ~

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    • lillian April 19, 2016 / 8:59 am

      Thanks, Grace. dVerse has been a special place for me — learned a lot. So fun to have a community of folks who play with words — it’s a great sandbox — and bar 🙂

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  6. Rosemary Nissen-Wade April 18, 2016 / 8:04 pm

    Such strength of character! (Or maybe bitter experience.) Fun poem.

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    • lillian April 19, 2016 / 9:00 am

      Anyone who names their dog Toto and makes it through a twister should definitely be a tough cookie! 🙂

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    • lillian April 19, 2016 / 9:00 am

      So glad you liked it — and nice to see you this morning over my morning cup!

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  8. kanzensakura April 18, 2016 / 11:11 pm

    Interesting – a twist without the word twist. I like how you just did the sashay thing and left him to his not as cool as he thought self. Those red boots are definitely an improvement on those red sequined maryjanes!

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    • lillian April 19, 2016 / 9:01 am

      Yep, Dorothy is all grown up now! 🙂 So glad you enjoyed.

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    • lillian April 19, 2016 / 9:02 am

      Yep — Mr. Cool got his comeuppance! 🙂

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    • lillian April 19, 2016 / 9:03 am

      It’s always fun to have a little fun with a prompt! 🙂 Some days ya just need a smile to get you going. Glad you enjoyed.

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    • lillian April 19, 2016 / 9:03 am

      Yep — she’s all grown up now but still likes red shoes! 🙂 Just enjoys them a bit higher and more grown up! 🙂

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    • lillian April 19, 2016 / 9:05 am

      Thanks! Always feel I’ve hit the mark when I get a good reply from you 🙂 Tippin’ my morning cup to you!

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  13. AnnMarie Roselli-Kissack April 19, 2016 / 6:23 am

    this was great fun to imagine, Lillian-
    ‘reeling’ through my imagination a stunner of a he-man and a lovely woman confident and self-assured – I love the magic of clicking heels – perhaps red shoes like the image – and if they also sparkle, the confident lass will magic her way home

    happy Tuesday
    am:)

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    • lillian April 19, 2016 / 9:08 am

      Ah AnnMarie. When I got done writing this one, how I wished I had your artistic skill! 🙂 So I found this double exposure ap — and tried to do an AM using two pics. Some day you and I should conspire 🙂 So glad you enjoyed. And you’ve got that he-man image just rite! 🙂
      Funny, no one “caught” the line about dropping the cue……as in she was shooting pool — maybe a biker bar? And she refuses to take his swaggering cue and just … click click … leaves 🙂
      Happy Tuesday to you, my friend!
      Are graduation plans starting to arise at your house?

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      • AnnMarie Roselli-Kissack April 19, 2016 / 7:44 pm

        ooo, I like the sound of conspire, Lillian – especially with familia in the FBI;)
        Having grown up in a basement rec room complete with billiard table, I did see her holding a lovely long stick – did miss the cue – that just goes to show you – how much dynamite you manage to pack into your explosive words
        am:)
        we just bought Caroline a $$$cruise – geez, these kids are money suckers for sure;) she’s got a b’earth’day this friday too and that will be another party…yikes!

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  14. Bryan Ens April 19, 2016 / 8:28 am

    Some people seem wonderful, but are destructive once you get to know them…good to know when to click your heels!

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    • lillian April 19, 2016 / 9:09 am

      Smiling I am over my second cup this morning, Bryan, reading your reply. Reminds me of my “words of wisdom” I always shared with my kids when they got to be about junior high age: “Just remove yourself from the situation.” Ah — that we could all just click our heels! 🙂

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    • lillian April 19, 2016 / 3:51 pm

      Smiling I am. Glad you liked it, Patti.

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    • lillian April 20, 2016 / 8:56 am

      Good to hear from you here. Okay — given your remark — I think you would LOVE a comedy routine my daughter-in-law told me about. She listens to comedy radio (that’s right, radio) when she’s walking a track. Google Salt and Pepper Diner — and you’ll find a youtube, I believe, of this comedian from Chicago and this routine. Tom Jones plays in the routine and it is hilarious! I promise you’ll be laughing out loud. It’s just few minutes long and so worth listening to. I promise you won’t be disappointed! 🙂

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  18. mtw April 20, 2016 / 12:01 am

    there is such an abundance of sass in those last two lines – i love it. you didn’t necessarily need to characterize your speaker so well, but you did and it contributes marvelously to the feel of the poem. beautifully done.

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    • lillian April 20, 2016 / 8:57 am

      Thank you so much. I really had fun with this one. I actually kind of had a smirk on my face after it was done 🙂 Feisty grown up Dorothy!

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  19. Bodhirose April 20, 2016 / 12:04 am

    Love your references to The Wizard of Oz…the tornado, red shoes. And I did pick up on the pool stick too (both my daughters used to play years ago). I liked her self-confident attitude. Good to know when to distance yourself from certain somebodies! 🙂

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    • lillian April 20, 2016 / 8:58 am

      As I mentioned to someone else — a well used line of mine when our kids were in junior high “Remove yourself from the situation.” 🙂 So glad you liked it!

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    • lillian April 20, 2016 / 8:58 am

      Yeah….I just like the sound of the word when you say it out loud. Sounds sassy! 🙂

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  21. Bekkie April 20, 2016 / 11:41 am

    I notice many poems so far that hint about Oz. A wonderful story! You were the smart one Lillian.
    Bekkie

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  22. mishunderstood April 20, 2016 / 12:24 pm

    Some really fun word choices…”cocksure grin” and “sashayed out”.Some days I wish I could just click my heels too. 🙂

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    • lillian April 20, 2016 / 2:05 pm

      Wouldn’t that be a feat (pun intended)? 🙂 Glad you liked it. Smiling I am.

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    • lillian April 20, 2016 / 11:58 pm

      Nah — not with swaggering guys like this 🙂

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