Poetry Friday--"Museum Piece"

The following poem is by Richard Wilbur:

Museum Piece

The good gray guardians of art
Patrol the halls on spongy shoes,
Impartially protective, though
Perhaps suspicious of Toulouse.

Here dozes one against the wall,
Disposed upon a funeral chair.
A Degas dancer pirouettes
Upon the parting of his hair.

See how she spins! The grace is there,
But strain as well is plain to see.
Degas loved the two together:
Beauty joined to energy.

Edgar Degas purchased once
A fine El Greco, which he kept
Against the wall beside his bed
To hang his pants on while he slept.

The poem tickles me, especially the line, "A Degas dancer pirouettes/Upon the parting of his hair." It reminds me of photographs of tourists in front of famous structures. You know the ones--where the Eiffel Tower, or Washington Monument, appears to be growing out of the visitor's head. Sort of like the one below which shows the earth balanced on my daughter's head!

I hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving Day and that you're going to be spending the rest of the weekend resting and relaxing. Take some time to enjoy the poetry found today at A Year of Reading.

--Diane