Lunchtime Concert at the Mall by Charlotte Mandel

Lunchtime Concert at the Mall
by
Charlotte Mandel

His hair a banner of white

Her waist a column of pink

What a day this has been . . .

Atrium vibratos of neon

Odors of french fry and ketchup

Lucky Wok Sea Kelp Nintendo

Arpeggios of escalators

Shoppers crescendo

diminuendo

Perched on balconies

licking mustard humming along

. . . it’s almost like falling . . .

Archly her plump finger

pokes his starched tuxedo bib

. . . you’re not sick you’re just . . .

Her throat throbs towards the skylight

spotlight of sunbeams . . . that I

dwe-elt in ma-arble halls . . .

Whistle-thin old man beside me

“Oooh that’s a looov-ly song —

she sings just like a bird.”

Photo credit: Richard Mandel

Charlotte Mandel lives in New Jersey. Though she didn't embrace poetry until midlife, she is the author of eleven collections and her awards include a Lifetime Achievement Award from Brooklyn College, the New Jersey Poets Prize, and two fellowships from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts. Charlotte's published work also includes the Eileen W. Barnes Award anthology of older women poets, Saturday's Women, and a series of essays on the role of cinema in the life and work of Hilda Doolittle. Learn more about Charlotte at charlottemandel.com.

Larry Schug:
Believe me, the LAST place you'll ever see me is at a mall none the less, I love this poem; it feels so good coming off my tongue and through my lips when read aloud. Good work!
Posted 11/10/2012 07:52 PM

jamster:
I love this poem. I am envisioning every detail as I read. Brilliance!
Posted 11/10/2012 03:21 PM

penhart:
Lovely poem, Charlotte. You bring that mall and the "concert" alive!
Posted 11/10/2012 08:25 AM

marenomitchell:
Thanks for bringing us the concert AND the mustard!
Posted 11/10/2012 08:02 AM

Janet Leahy:
I too would love to witness one of these concerts but we are there in your poem and it is fun. Thanks Charlotte
Posted 11/10/2012 07:28 AM

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