Celeste's Sestina

It's Friday Fiction Day!

This week, Joanne Sher at My Open Book is hosting it. Be sure to check out all the other great stories and leave a few comments.

This is a fun poem that I wrote last year. A sestina is precise form of poetry. I used my love for French to give me more variety of words to use.
(A few French words are defined at the bottom.)




("Courting Couple" by Federico Andreotti )

Celeste’s Sestina

Mademoiselle Celeste, so petite and fair,
With silky locks and eyes so bleu,
Who lived with her smiling, but grande belle mere,
Who sold fromage, carrottes, et choux.
Billy was far from his home in America, where
All he could say was “Bonjour” and “Adieu.”

Oh, what was the poor lovesick boy to do?
He paid the bus driver some foreign fare
And traveled to the market, where
He purchased a cart, painted yellow and blue.
Bought a cheery bouquet of orchids. A-CHOO!
Sweet chocolate, and a gentle, cream colored mare.

Trembling at the door, the bouquet gave to her mere.
He rode with Celeste through the sparkling dew-
Covered fields, whistling and tapping his shoe
In time to the clopping, as they neared a country fair,
With colorful tents and flags that fluttered and blew.
He bought her a joli chapeau to wear.

They browsed up and down the rows of wares,
And even heard a speech by the mayor,
Who arrogantly stood when the trumpets blew.
There were so many exciting things to do
And see, at that marvelous country fair,
It was hard to decide which things they should choose.

Celeste, in French, said, “Regardez, Monsieur!”
But lovesick Billy proceeded on… unaware.
His mind full of music and love affairs,
With a squish, behind his cream-colored mare,
His sole became smeared with the sticky doo!
His face grew red, he coughed and blew.

Celeste giggled and batted her eyes of bleu,
And offered her kerchief to wipe his dirty shoe.
She kissed his cheek, his awful fears to subdue
He knows now that someday, somewhere,
Somehow…when he’s convinced her mere,
He’ll marry this mademoiselle, so elegant and fair!

So, now when all is done and due,
if you ever see some eyes of bleu,

In a mademoiselle so lovely and fair,
Regardez where you put your shoe,

For with the bride, somehow, somewhere,
will be her smiling, grande belle mere.



mere: mother
fromage: cheese
chou: cabbage
joli: pretty
chapeau: hat
Regardez!: Look!
grand belle mere: mother-in-law
(If you have trouble with the other French words,
just ask and I'll translate for you.)