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.
(Richard Wilbur)
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Based on Topics: Beauty Poems, Art Poems, Hair Poems, Energy PoemsBased on Keywords: spongy, purchased, patrol, dozes, dancer, guardians, edgar, impartially, protective, pirouettes, greco