the Party

The party without delay

time's memory we all may share

it's 1909 we conjure Rousseau 

le peintre moderne notre ami Henri

onboard a leaky boat 

the Bateau-Lavoir is sailing 

down market Montmartre the plan

hatched in a cabaret le Lapin Agile 

tip them off spare nobody

'cept of course poor Henri, he

the tribute our guest of honour

stalks tigers in city parks

Alice Gertrude Pablo et al

dream Paris herself would be there 

Andre Georges Apollinaire Kiki big stares

Fernande calls for red carpet more bread

maitre 'd still the mystery assembles

our cast who intend whatever mayhem 

to make this soiree the legend

dear Sonia later claims as hers

inevitably our galleon begins to sway

too tight to swing a cat she creaks

hundreds spilled and some lay down

like wine too, splashed in gutters 

looking up at stars that fateful night

from the start proceedings fell apart 

spontaneous music and a new dance

shouted all over hollering laughter

by Act two the game was nearly up

songs and speeches drag on too long 

Guillaume loudly farting barely softened

Marie lurching as she face firsts dessert

no one really remembers Act three or 4

who danced with whom and what gems

parted lips or when they departed whose shoes point up from beneath the table 

never the less one epilogue can be drawn

one hundred years slip-by and the din

is heard by some every now and then

time stands still to sing Viva Le Douanier

image: The Dinner 1909 / (detail) oil and synthetic polymer paint on linen on board JS