The Land of Make Believe

The beautiful purple of flowering jacaranda trees from wikipedia:


  It would be nice to imagine purple flowers for her wedding ceremony
in the chapel at Versailles one evening;  Madame de Maintenon wore these colours well:

Madame de Maintenon was believed to be enchanting

and was often called “La Belle Indienne” in her younger

days, acknowledging her beauty.

“The Frog Princess” seems to evoke reminders of

Madame de Maintenon and of her time at the court of

Versailles;   there is  wonderful depiction of a frog princess

taken at the floriade fashion show in Canberra last year,

wearing green and mauve, or purple, colours which I

associate Madame de Maintenon as wearing:

Madame de Maintenon hailed from obscure beginnings and

after her marriage and subsequent widowhood to the poet Scarron,

Madame de Maintenon became a governess

to the children of the king (Louis XIV) and Madame de Montespan,

thereafter rising to became a companion and spouse of the king;

The Land of Make-Believe

Now we come to the Land of Make-Believe,

Always happening at Lightening Speed;

Fancies' whims and fancies' pleasures

Now we see what are the treasures;

Come what may

It is a ray

Of something golden on the way-

Always a promise of something good

As we always knew it would:

Hopes come knocking for those who care

the promise of freedom and hope to care

In our world of everyday

Things like this become common play

Out on the treasures of a new board-walk

now we come to life and talk

Helping each other in our plans

This is where our friendships span

To help each other for the day

For our times when we can play

And Good will come of the day:

Nature's whiles and past away time

There will always be Sun to shine:

the lights and glimmerings of early spring

The raindrops which do bring

Life a-new upon the earth

Showered down in wondrous mirth:

gone are the pictures of yesterday

glittering and pandering in a play,

Rows and rows of potted plants

and with Chestnut Hall enhanced

with the colours of autumn fall,

Even the leaves which come on the wind,

They have come from a distant wind

A different time and different season

yet still we see them in beauty and ever green;

If not green, in sparkling yellow,

all the colours of an autumn fall;

lost leaves in our magical times

they come with splendour and a kiss

this is not a time to miss

the leaves of eternity, leaves of time,

leaves of splendour and leaves of hope,

never forget the leaves of time

they will always be painted and brushed with time;

In our way, through promise and hope

The glory of our leaves, our scope:

Capturing moments at a glance

not ever knowing of the chance

A place to be

A place to be seen

In all of its equivocacy:

The king decided to lift his game

Improve his image and his name

Evening shadows betokened the same;

Spinners weaved their golden thread

The workers tended flower beds...

The king was intrigued by the Ladies' Games

was enamoured by their charms,

Admired by Courtiers

and thrilled to the Chase

and also enjoyed a steeple race

The king decided to quicken his pace;

lingered at a menagerie

also enjoyed his falconry:

And in his Chivalry

a Note of Courtesy-

An invite for Francois d'Aubigne

To view the flowers and scenery

A promenade in his company;

This became the talk of the court

A former governess companion of the king

Whoever heard of such a thing?

But the King at an older age:

This was what he ordained

In all of his Majesty;

Not like at an earlier stage:

likened almost to a chain

of royal protocol

and kingly role

allowing not the king to be-

dictating not to marry free

Marie Mancini:

A search of a hint of a holy grail,

A glimpse beyond a magic veil?

Married at a chapel

in a beat of time

A Match of Matrimony

with Francoise d'Aubigny;

A ceremony of beauty

in the Night

Palace Candle-light

and Pale Moonlight,

Casting Serenity on the sight;

Not a Show of Pageantry

A Ceremony of Simplicity

As the Wedding was in Secrecy

complying with his Ministry;

As, Rainbows dancing in the Sky

Over the Land

There would have been

A modest lady,

A new Queen;

The Strings of a Strain

Of a Lully Refrain

Rang out clearly in the Night;

The Court did notice her new status,

Kind and merciful

Life more wonderful

Always gracious

In her uncrowned hiatus

This was her new basis:

Sombre also, quiet, tenacious

Noble causes, St Cyr and

scholarly traces:

Fans and laces

Etiquette and graces

St Cyr depicted on a fan

Giving a picture of the land

A play of Esther on the stage

Which defined another age

Renaissance,

biblical themes the rage

for the plays on the stage;

and the

choices-

a teacher, spouse or nunnery

for noble girls

poor and scholarly:

Princess Marie-Adelaide of Savoy

did turn around

La Maintenon's ideas for the Crown

and a new life adhered

to the vagaries of fun instead

Balls and magic,

Life fantastic

Beauty, companionship

for the king,

This would mean everything:

La Maintenon seeming not so worldly

A settled life for the king more orderly:

Destiny swinging round and round

Hopes and Dreams swing wildly in Time

Fortune's Favours finally found

A Magical Story of a Merry-Go-Round

On an on in the show;

A Fantasy Story

In a Magical Time,

Singing the theme,

On we go

The fairy-tale of dreams comes true;

The Royal Court had no compare,

There was singing and dancing throughout the years;

And then there was the grandest plan,

The grandest plan of all

A Mirrored Hall of a Dancing Hall

A glittering ball which was

A Showcase for all;

The Moon and the Stars in the Sky

Shining in God's good Grace

Bestowed a Fairy-land Trace

Upon the Land;

And glittering still

As a page from a Dream

The soft light on flowers

Shines on.