​Ballade Supreme for a Supergroup, by Julie Steiner

The Three Magi, Byzantine mosaic, Basilica of Sant’Apollinare Nuovo, Ravenna (Italy) c. 565, restored 18th century. Username.Ruge, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

​Ballade Supreme for a Supergroup

For years I’ve been your fangirl, from afar.
A hundred million smalti, sparkling gold,
cannot upstage the spectacle you are.
You’re absolutely fabulous -- threefold!
You’ve stepped in sync through eras. Strutted. Strolled.
Tight pants in triple shades of leopard skin
show off the way each well-turned calf and shin
remains unique, despite same-swiveled hips.
I’d hoped to see you, live; that’s hit the bin.
Your thrills will have to be another trip’s.

Your Phrygian caps (rust-red, not cinnabar),
said “Persians!” once, though modern eyes are told
“The Smurfs!” or “Santa!” In the repertoire
of flourishes your cape-hems have unscrolled,
one hears “Magician!”, mostly -- but I’m old
enough that my pop-culture-reference din
adds “Liberace!” “Presley!” “Brown!” I grin.
Those Vegas vibes enhance, and don’t eclipse,
your splendor. Sigh. My starstruck smile turns thin.
Your thrills will have to be another trip’s.

Although I’ve failed to see you, au revoir.
Who knows how your finale might unfold?
Christ’s mother might be offered caviar
from those impressive vessels that you hold,
or Tuna à la King, glam-casseroled!
I’ll miss it. Mom is set on turning in.
Blame jet lag. (I admit, to my chagrin,
I’m sleep-starved, too.) Though FOMO whines and nips --
it knows I’ll never pass this way again --
your thrills will have to be another trip’s.

Your Majesties, please tell my friends within
the chorus line of virgin saints you spin
before (Epiphany/Apocalypse?),
“She’s sorry, but she’s short adrenaline.
Your thrills will have to be another trip’s.”

Julie Steiner

Julie Steiner is a pseudonym in San Diego, California. Her poetry has appeared in Literary Matters, The New Verse News, The Able Muse Review, Rattle, Light, The Asses of Parnassus, and American Arts Quarterly, among other venues. She recently embarked on her third decade as an active participant in the Eratosphere online poetry workshop (www.ablemuse.com/erato).