Magician, sleight of hand his trade.
Quick undetected moves.
Misdirection while abracadabrahing.
No white rabbits.
No multicolored scarves
tucked up his sleeves.
Ladies’ man supreme,
handsome and mysterious.
Meandering lover, he savors the travel,
one step ahead of wanted posters.
Disappearing wives his specialty.
Written for dVerse, the virtual pub for poets, where it’s Quadrille Monday! De hosts and asks us to include the word “quick” within our quadrille (poem of exactly 44 words, sans title). Photo from pixabay.com
lillian the home poet 
Oh that was one very devious one… I’m thinking Bluebird actually.
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Hah!
Looking forward to reading quadrilles today. Grey windy day in Provincetown with glorious big rushing swooshing waves hitting the shore😊
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I think Bjorn is referring to “Bluebeard”. The image is very striking–Houdini-like. Nice gentle and dark rocking of the prompt.
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Right you are… Bluebeard.
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Ah yes, I figured that. Glad you enjoyed the post. I liked the devils on this guy’s shoulders.
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Oh! So ominous, Lill! Love this!
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Thanks, De. Should put it beside my old Film Noir quadrille-series poems! 🙂
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Ooh, sinister, Lill! It sounds like you’re having some excitement and drama in Provincetown. Am I right in thinking that Cape Cod, including Provincetown, is known for being haunted?
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Yes — and a place of many writers – poets and dramatists. Norman Mahler, Mary Oliver, Eugene O’Neill, Tennessee Williams……..I think their spirits still ride the waves!
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I always like the sound of Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard.
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And besides Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard, there’s also Block Island which is much less developed.
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A friend of mine is on her yearly trip to Ptown. Knowing her, she is in the hot tub in the rain and enjoying it thoroughly. I like this devious poem of yours. Presto change – from quick to the dead and another wife hits the dust.
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Smiling I am….and the end of your comment! Rain last night…but the clies are brightening…and even in the rain, the ocean and relaxation is bliss.
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A rainy day at the beach is still better than a sunny day in the office. My friend goes up there twice yearly with a bunch of lesbians. They sit in the hot tub on the deck and call it Dyke Soup. I love Ptown myself. I knew it from the early days in the early 70’s. A wonderful place of artists, locals, and restaurants. I used to love going to the Cape, in my reckless feckless youth. Then I got older and returned to my roots on the NC Coast. Lovely place, quiet and scenic, not very built up in places. Did they use Ptown in Jaws?
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He sounds like a cad and a bounder 🙂
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Oh my yes!
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“abracadabrahing”!! Perfect.
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Always fun to do what I call verbifying!
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And gerundymandering 😉
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Black magic, mystery. Gots to go gets me some holy water! Fun.
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Or at the very least, a necklace of garlic! 🙂
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Or the police? Hehe
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Ah, such a disquieting personality — I love your character-sketch and the mysterious tone of the poem. The beginning acts as a foreboding of what is to come — wanted poster, disappearing wives, et al.
Very well-penned. 🙂
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So glad you enjoyed! Thank you!
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I liked those disappearing wives and “one step ahead of wanted posters”.
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Hah — he was a scoundrel for sure!
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Devious and sly, he can disappear too! Good character sketch Lillian.
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It is fun to make up characters — little vignettes. Goodness….if we put them all in one room….all the characters created by dVerse folks???? 🙂
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oh, that charming devil!
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Ah yes, too charming to many!
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Great ending! Love it!
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Yep — I had some fun with this one!
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Oh this is deliciously dark and enticing! ❤️
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A sinister portrait in very few words…we know this is someone to not invite to dinner.
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one step ahead of a wanted posters – now that is deviously clever..
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Well, your muse took you on a fun trip for this one. Bravo!
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Quite a tale!
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Nice twist!
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the slick, quick talking man… always dangerous!
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Quite clever!
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his skill will be in quite of a demand – lovely quadrille Lillian
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quick witted quadrille Lillian – the disappearing wives were a deadly last line
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He may be handsome, but I don’t think I like him much? Sounds like a bit of a rascal and a bounder.
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Ooooooooooh. So haunting!!!
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Clever take on this prompt. Keep scanning those wanted posters!
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Those whispers in the ear sound like trouble for sure!
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Well! Fabulous trickster indeed. 😎🥀
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This sounds like a mystery story! What fun!
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Interesting take on the prompt. I love magicians, but they can be a bit devious.
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Oh, that is so dangerous…great take on quick
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Clever turn at the end, Lillian.
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The picture goes well with the poem. Human props, no rabbits needed. Have fun in Ptown! I took the ferry from Boston years ago.
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Quite a malevolent character here!😂
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Deplorable! A cad and a bounder! I feel safer knowing that no women are prone to this kind of behavior. 🙂
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So are you going to proclaim to whom you have dedicated this quadrille? Hehe, we all had fun here.
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