Sunday, May 16, 2010

P is for pince-nez

(n. a pair of spectacles
kept in place by a spring
which pinches the nose)

In reading this poem you need to imagine
the acute accents on the ends of words.


A French Invention 


It's time to retire the pince-nez
old-fashioned and for those who are au fait
with the fashions in spectacles, say
it's not worth being engage.
Much less popular now than cafe au lait
once something after which the nobs chasse.
Whilst I still enjoy crudites
I can't say I favour pince-nez.
The pinched nose is so declasse
and I'd rather be short-sighted than releve
and enjoy a serve of creme brulee.
In Marseilles, without doubt, jeunesse is doree
but the thought of those painful pince-nez
is enough to make me flee to Whangerei.

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