Mother of Pearl

Pastel-painted ladies
float in long bell skirts
on a sun-faded wall.
Mother of Pearl prays
in rhymed verse
for their safe descent.
Dappled damsels
in transparent shifts
sway, their fairy bells
tinkling, gowns
billowing afloat
on powdery paper.
Nacreous waves
stir yellow in blue
to a greenish pallor,
a reticent field of hues
for pastel-painted ladies
adrift among clouds
casting dull pearls
on brittle painted paper
and dry-cracked walls.
Oh, Mother of Pearl
pray for us all.