Gypsy Recital For The Prince Poem by Toby Twigg

Gypsy Recital for the Prince ___
(All Hallow's Eve,1843)

Opening her case with the edges frayed
Burnished in carved leather dyed black
She laid her strange stringed instrument
Upon its polished rosewood back

Proceeding to press her fingers
Between the inlaid ivory frets
As if it were a piano keyboard
Playing strange sounding couplets

At first
I thought her face rather plain
Until I heard the music that came
Emanating from deep down within
That changed her olive skin
Into a Regal face in classic profile

My hand fell from the one that I was with
I clutched my heart and began to drift
Sensing her spirit I then became aware
That I could not tear myself away
From what she had become

Abruptly
The music stopped
And then too my empty heart
Her hungry eyes became almost primitive
As I was left just barely breathing

Quietly, she said:
"Take that, you heartless Aristocrat"

It was then that I finally recognized
The daughter that in my youthful arrogance
I had casually abandoned.