Act One
Date: 1905
Characters: Lily and Lawrence
Lily, beautiful Lily
first to arrive
festooned in full dress
gallant Lawrence
bachelor on call
for weekend parties
pawns and playthings of local gods
measured glances
fill her face
keen for admirers
resides at fringes
of snobbish scenes
with bemusement
ancients, moderns with same stories
cultivated for grace
ornamental task
lightly anchored
observer status
omniscient
except for self
assigned to hierarchic roles
inchoate hunger
feelings suppressed
playing charades
moments of passion
in Lily’s presence
without touching
scripted for restricted choices
his probing words
briefly ignite
nascent desire
her vacuity
his insecurity
neutralize love
no trespassing on tribal rules
shed by her caste
helpless to rebuff
society’s customs
social outlier
unable to muster
against the grain
human sacrifices required.
Act Two
Time: 1913
Characters: Undine, Ralph, and Elmer
A blurred flourish
ego precedes
then Undine
ineffectual Ralph
living fossil
clearly labeled
brash, eager Elmer
bender of rules
nothing to lose
parvenus astride gift horses
eye-catching
eye-arresting
upstart beauty
listless, pale
bluish tinged
half-blooded
no pedigree
just wits and charm
in fact sufficient
in anti-deterministic plots
magnetic face
snapping male eyes
to attention
highly evolved
niche too narrow
almost invisible
rich, garish color
of his new money
easily blends
up for sale at social auction
good for half hour
perhaps bit longer
of banal chatter
mismatched husband
from Washington Square
with Miss Midwest
nouveau collector
of antique wealth
for social ascent
repopulating haut monde stage
always looking
for next best bet
no interest in love
her nuptial fix
for several years
until another
mephistophelean
with clever schemes
to win Undine’s favor
inauguration of self-made epoch
covetously wanting
more and more
just for herself
honor besmirched
with loss of son
no raison d’etre
catalyst for greed
modern financier
with swindling risks
Ego and Mammon triumphant.
Act Three
Time: 1920
Characters: May, Ellen, and Newland
May in motion
classical style
old New York assets
cousin Ellen
estranged countess
on drawing-room stage
dependable Newland
analytic yet
keeps the covenant
clash of primal needs and wishes
performs her role
with perfection
bowing to all
no naïve maiden
light years ahead
of familial kin
loyal son, friend
brother, lawyer
colleague, relation
trapped inside society’s cage
sees clearly
within her sphere
what must happen
ignores own heart
wanting solace
comfort and safety
flies near flame
of Ellen’s face
but unrequited
nurture of self or chosen others
happy with choices
unbeset
by social strictures
confidently stepping
upon convention
her beauty prevails
erstwhile dilettante
in arts and theater
no bohemian he
attracted to exclusive options
marries well
quite content
with one-sided love
without illusions
charms well honed
for survival
trapped by duty
accepts his fate
cannot escape
in pursuit of Socratic virtue
knows her feelings
acts without malice
noblest of lot
explores the heart
arts, metaphysics
in Parisian salons
lives with regrets
thwarted romantic
coupled with sweet May
well tempered with existential truths.
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