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Alan Summers, carnival, contrast, Fat Tuesday, festivals, juxtaposition, laissez les bons temps rouler, Mardis Gras, New Orleans, poems about Mardi Gras, poetry, poetry community, poetry prompt, Susan B. Anthony Somers-Willet
Painting by Heather Calderon
Hi friends! I recently had the pleasure of driving a thousand miles down to New Orleans for a destination wedding where, along with sugary beignets, chicory root coffee, shrimp etouffee, etc, etc, I stuffed myself full of inspiration for my first poetry prompt of the year. So, I realize we’re already nearly a week into the penitential season of Lent, for those of you who observe, but today I’m still hoping to look at one of the oldest and certainly most notorious traditions of “the Crescent City”: Mardi Gras.
It wasn’t until this visit that I learned “Fat Tuesday” isn’t just the one raucous, titillating day before solemn, reverent Ash Wednesday. It’s actually a whole season, commencing on the Feast day of the Epiphany on January 6, during which krewes, or Carnival organizations, parade the streets of the French Quarter and other city neighborhoods glorifying everything from high society’s royal court to the grotesque and grand mockery. Here is an informative resource to learn more about Mardi Gras customs and the surprising propriety surrounding its culture that appears at first glance to be so socially transgressive and laissez faire.
If you have been to New Orleans, or Rio de Janeiro, or Venice, or anywhere with a rich tradition of celebrating the holiday/season of revelry, tonight is your chance to invoke that experience with imagery that will transport us there (if it doesn’t tread too obtrusively on your Lenten fast;) Here’s one interpretation of the fanfare.
Ophelia’s Technicolor G-String: An Urban Mythology
by Susan B. Anthony Somers-Willet
The air tonight is thick as curry;
like every night this summer I could cut it
with my wine glass, spray it with mace.
Over and over it would heal together
like a wound, follow my click and pace of heels
down Conti Street, St. Ann, Bourbon.
Oh Hamlet, if you could see me now
as I pump and swagger across that stage, cape dripping to the floor,
me in three-inch heels and a technicolor G-string—
you would not wish me in a convent.
They’ve made me a queen here, married me off
to a quarter bag and a pint of gin.
The old men tend bark and splatter, rabid
at each table. I think they stay up all night
just to spite the moon. They bring their diseased
mouths to the French Market in the morning,
sell Creole tomatoes to tourists who don’t know
what they are. Each bald head shines plump and red.
It seems like so long ago that I modeled
for those legs outside of Big Daddy’s—
the ones over the door that swing in, out, in, out—
the sculptor made me painted as Mardi Gras.
I thought you might recognize them if you ever passed
with the boys, parading from Abbey to Tavern,
or think them royal feet in need of slippers.
Someday I expect to find you here,
sitting at the table between the first and second rows,
fingering bones or something worse.
And in the end you will throw me a columbine,
light me a Marlboro and take me to a 24-7 where
jukebox light quivers, makes us as thin as ghosts.
But for now, I will dance for the fat man
who sits in your place and sweats his love for me at 3 a.m.,
because only he knows I am Horatio in drag.
Source: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/49544/ophelias-technicolor-g-string-an-urban-mythology
Another option is to focus on the contrast one feels by going from the Laissez les bons temps rouler mode to the following sustained, down-tempo, sacrificial forty days right at the stroke of midnight. I think of Lillian’s prompt last week asking us to reflect on ‘A time to [be born, a time to die]’ but to zoom in on the contrast one would feel at the moment of stark change–both socially and psychologically. Explore what it feels like to feel the shift in social mores and perhaps how individually one’s calendar may not always neatly conform. Juxtaposition is a fitting device to utilize in your poem if you want to illustrate such felt disparity. Consider the tension related in Alan Summers’ haiku:
unlacing the shoe
on his sole
mud from the gravesite
Source: Blithe Spirit Vol. 6 No. 3 (1996); Does Fish-God Know (YTBN Press 2012)
Of course, if Mardi Gras/Carnival/Lent is not part of your culture then try to think of a festival time in opposition to a more contemplative, sober time experienced either collectively or on your own. As for form, you’re free to express yourself in any form you like but, upon my personal discovery of this being an entire Carnival season, a haibun might be especially fitting.
Here’s how to link up and let the good times roll:
• Write a poem and post to your blog.
• Enter a link directly to your poem and your name by clicking Mr Linky below.
• A banner will ask you to “Check to accept use/privacy policy”.
• There you will find links to other participating poets.
• Read and comment on their work, and be sure to check back in the following 48 hours for more entries.
• Please link back to dVerse from your site/blog and encourage your readers to engage.
• Comment and participate in our discussion below, if you like.
Image Credit: heathercalderon.com
dVerse 
So what’s new with everyone? It’s been awhile since I’ve been in the hood. I gave up coffee and small talk for Lent, so make it good! (half-kidding)
Good evening Amaya, and Alaaf dVerse poets everywhere! I got here at the right time today – 19.00 instead of 20.00 until our clocks go forward again. because I’ve been away a lot recently, I’m afraid I dusted off an old poem of mine for the prompt. I hope that’s OK. I’mm be back to normal soon. In the meantime, I’m looking forward to reading carnival and Mardis Gras poems.
Alaaf, Kim! (Had to look up that apt salutation.) No problem, dust away. I feel out of my comfort zone with this prompt, which I’m not so sure is such a great thing in poetry. Shouldn’t we write from experience? Anyway, it was an eye opener to see that subculture within the US, though apparently, outside of a few key cities, Carnival is much more widely celebrated in Europe. Brussels has some interesting customs. The paraders all cry, for one.
I was tempted to write about the Notting Hill carnival but that takes place at the end of August, and I wrote a poem about the carnival in Venice last year. I’m going to bed in an hour or so but will be back in the morning to read.
Hi Amaya! Thank you for hosting. I have no experience with Mardi Gras or Lent, so I’ll have to ponder. I look forward to reading what everyone comes up with.
Hi Merril, it’s good to be here. And I’m actually much like you. I only started observing (passively albeit) Lent for the past few years during which I don’t give something up but just do more readings and meditating on Christ. But as far as, Mardi Gras — no experience. My cousin had this elaborate wedding at the art museum (you can look it up, they were featured in Vogue–Mia Swier/Darren Criss) and really wanted to incorporate all the Mardi Gras themes and yes, hedonism. (I’m not just summing it up, that’s verbatim what the groom said.) Otherwise, I still would have no clue but I’ll say it was fun to learn about about the city. I also really enjoyed the tv show Tremé, starring the music of NOLA:)
Wow! You travel in fancy circles! 🙂
Really, it was sooo not my style. But family. I like looking at diverse all our weddings were/will be. My brother and his fiancé are planning a hanging ceremony (they’re rock climbers) got this summer. That’s a little bit more my thing:)
🙂
I love love love this prompt. I love a bit of mayhem. We don’t have Mardi Gras here, but we do have a carnival. The whole town shuts down for May Fair – there was nearly a riot a few years ago when the new headteacher suggested the school shouldn’t close down for the day. I love the fact that it over the decades various do-gooders have tried to prettify it, but the locals make it their own. I suspect there’s a mini baby boom about 9 months later, and definitely a whole town hangover the following day.
Haha, well I’m a February baby myself, shh!
Hello… I’m a bit late, and will just sit down to write… alas for me the Carnival is very much less… Sweden is basically a Lutheran country when it comes to religious festivities which means that fatty Tuesday is reduced to a white bun with cream… but it’s very delicious…
When you mention that little bun I always think of what spoiled kids get for their birthdays vs what my kids get. My mom said a Kardashian built a whole party house for her kid’s 1year bday, and meanwhile I give my kid a balloon and let her dig in a frosted cake. She’s simply overjoyed. Needless to say, I’m a fan of the very delicious bun with cream custom.
I guess that makes me a Lutheran…
I’m not religious at all, but I think the way I’ve been brought up is very much with lutheran morals… after all government and church was the same thing until very recently.
Hello all! Amaya, thanks for the prompt. I wrote about an experience we had in NOLA that was an amazing spontaneous time. I may have gone on a bit in the Haibun, but tried to keep it as tight as possible. Looking forward to reading everyone’s interpretation.
You hit on a key word for true jeu d’esprit: spontaneity. That’s kind of what I had always thought Mardi Gras was about, just impromptu parades, brass, dancing, of course the beads and flashing and drunkenness. I had no idea so much went into the planning of it all. And like I said, the propriety. Well looking forward to reading, Linda!
We have carnaval here at various times. I’ve never understood how the French manage to have them so often. It’s not at all my thing, I have to say. I hate group jollity.
I’m posting my link here because Linky won’t accept it.
Nor is it my thing, as I was referencing birthdays in a comment to Björn. I don’t know why though, maybe it’s just a loss of youth? Introversion? I’ll see if I can fix the Linky.
It’s maybe simply being more sure of what you want. The out of control, effervescence of carnival atmosphere is for people who are genuinely very outgoing, but maybe also for those don’t know where else to look for satisfaction.
Oh I see someone has. Thanks to that mystery person!
Thank you, Whoever you are. I’d gone to bed.
Interesting prompt. My own personal Ash Wednesday was nov 18, 2018. When the Mardi gras of my youth came crashing down. You may have noticed I didn’t write much for a while after that. Here’s why. -Eric
Sent from my iPhone
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I haven’t gotten around to reading it yet, as my kids–husband too–have been especially needy tonight and then I’ve been shaken upon discovery of a family we knew in our former town whose whole home was just knocked out by an avalanche. Imagine that, at 6:00 in the morning still sleeping and then boom! everything lost, but luckily they were all rescued. Anyway, I like how you phrase that, “the Mardi Gras of my youth came crashing down.” I can relate as well as to not writing for awhile. This is my first poem since last December. So thank you for joining us, I honor your being here.
Hi Amaya and All. Late again, had an afternoon appointment. Mardis Gras, never been there but will try to conjure some fitting imagery.
Great to have you here! If you get a chance, try out that link about Mardi Gras. Pretty weird stuff.
Thank you, Amaya. I liked your prompt very much.
I checked out the link. It seems like organized hedonism for the locals and a time for debauchery for the visitors. Tableaux sounds interesting.
Thanks for hosting, Amaya. I linked a short poem about sacrifice and pain/pleasure that I think relates to Mardi Gras and Lent, but maybe I’m just fantasizing it. I’ve never been to New Orleans. Interesting that you gave up coffee for Lent. I put coconut oil in my coffee so my main reason to drink coffee is to get the coconut oil. However, I can see giving up coffee without the coconut oil on a permanent basis.
Wow, coconutty coffee. Maybe you can imagine giving it up cause you’ve ruined the taste! I don’t know what I’m saying, but if you want to get more coconut oil you could cook jasmine or basmati rice with it, or curries of course, but surprisingly scrambled eggs taste very good in the stuff. But I suppose you’re wanting extra virgin and don’t want it heated. A former health center at which I once worked had most everyone eating it by the spoonfuls:)
It definitely ruins the taste of coffee without it (although it takes getting used to). So coffee is too easy to give up. I sometimes put turmeric and pepper in coffee which for sure ruins the taste. I have tried frying eggs in coconut oil, but the olive oil is more convenient.
A good excuse for mask-making! (K)
Indeed!
I wrote about a voodoo mardi gras you find deep in the gris gris swamps. Gotta open your mind and imagination. This is a celebration of other world spirits!
It was a poem of intrigue and yes, uneasiness. Have you experienced it?
Thsnk you Amaya for hosting. Nice to have you back in the bistro!
Thanks, Rob!