The owl suggests that, after my recent rampage through gloom, bleakness, and crepuscular carnage, I write about something fun and frivolous to acquaint you with the more adorable side of an odalisque.   Fun, frivolous– both start with F suggesting I write about FASHION, one of wordpress’ more popular topics.  There are lots of very enjoyable blogs about what to wear/when to wear/ways to wear/what other people are wearing.

You may have noticed that most of the time I am wearing nothing but my head.

O!  My heads!  I’m sure it is my heads that wear my body.  My heads, like monks, waitresses, and attendants to flight, always don the same bodily uniform.  But they themselves are rapturous conglomerations of fallacy, frenzy, fortitude, fantasy and fanfare…words that start with F just like FASHION.

My heads are made of paper, tarnished pewter, fire, lapis lazuli, gold-leaf.  I have been known to bedeck my neck with samurai lanterns and a saint’s garland, a compass,  or no more than a feather!

I like to accessorize my heads with arrows.  Recently, when portraying gloom, I let loose the ornament of my hair.

I do have traditional clothing.  Have you admired my fantastic coat which I sometimes wear around my waist, other times draped around my shoulders?  My coat changes size…sometimes it’s so large it shelters me like a tent!   Or, it’s quite small– I tuck it inside a teapot to hide it from the crow, who is attracted to its shiny threads.  Every odalisque needs a fantastic coat to keep her warm and dazzling in dark times.

I also have an Edo period kimono, a gauze dress, a swim-suit, and a favorite party outfit.

I’ll write more about these topics in weeks to come.

Why does the phoenix want me to garb myself in fire?

–The Odalisque