The mistake collector

Because of the gilt armoires, the piano in the drawing room,
the velvet curtains closing on dressing assistants,
the women emerging all iconic praline
the chivalric man shaped penguins;
no one noticed the mistake collector
smoking too close to the paperbacks.

The girl, stuck mine gold, played ivory,
winking at the Colonel each time he entered,
wishing his wife good child bearing.
Her aunt watched, carefully mentally flipping her inheritance
‘keep, don’t keep, keep, don’t keep, wait and see what comes loose’
while the hostess sapphire Bombayed conversations,
cracking double yolked jokes at her husband conversion,
‘that’s a big word for a little man darling.’

But they held one another’s wrists
And glistened dancing to the syncopated feet of their inferiors,
Yours truly has a recipe for quinine, ask Betty,
and lets make plans for when she’ll visit
so no one noticed the mistake collector
smoking too close to the paperbacks.