by Nancy Yates
Mauve was a harlot, worse than a scarlet
woman.
Mauve was unnatural, her family tree and pedigree
a minor scandal at the time.
Mauve’s midwife was a man,
a modern Merlin of chemistry.
He managed to change fashion history!
From coal mine depths to dressing room
an unexpected social boon,
Mauve ascended to gentility
and sashayed with the grand nobility.
Apropos—
Mauve has her suspicions about Indigo.
Nancy Yates took a poetry class some time ago at JCC and thought it would be fun to send a few poems to Voices for consideration. She now considers herself published.