Vamps as bloody lipped enticers rule
An empire of allure. Set art deco traps for
Martyrs, razzle-dazzled by small
Portions of delight. But earlier, Victorians
Imbibing Vampire tales became staunch haemophiles.*
Ruled by sanguinary signs, were naturally
Enamoured by the chaste, but wasted woman
- A genetic bleeding disorder due to missing clotting factors – initially called “haemorrhaphilia” then foreshortened to haemophilia – haem/blood and philia/lover is far more fitting for vampires! Several members of the 19th century European Royal family inherited the disease from Britain’s Queen Victoria
- wasted – reference to ‘the wasting disease’ i.e. tuberculosis/consumption another common disease of the 19th century in which blood manifested “so that the link between these consumptive women and the supernatural figure of the vampire points out the disease’s power to act as a metaphor for mystery and the supernatural”.[source]
Just 44 words and an Acrostic for Dora’s quadrille prompt: Vampire
PoetryPix 
Love the way you integrate the thought of the vampire with the diseases of the time. It is amazing how much those two diseases mattered.
these diseases readily gave rise to ‘vampirism’ – [and now TB is back with a drug resistance]
What Björn said – and I love the internal rhyme in ‘enamoured by the chaste, but wasted woman’.
so resonant of Victorian art and mores
Food for thought, how diseases become artistic metaphors and symbols of an age. “Sanguinary signs” indeed, indeed in this “empire of allure.”
a whole history of art tied in here Dora – thanks for the prompt
Laura, wonderful last 2 lines. Reminds me of foot-binding practices in China, where the men wanted their women weak and slow.
thank you for noticing that Lisa
You’re welcome.
You really pinned the verse in the right era. Absolutely superb, really atmospheric.
many thanks Ain for appreciating the setting here
Just like a sneaky vampire, hiding in plain sight. Enjoyed this Laura. 👍🏼
thank you Rob
Brilliantly written, Laura. I love the lines “An empire of allure” and “Enamoured by the chaste, but wasted woman.”
I watched a video recently-ish about how TB was romanticized. Male writers who had it were seen as having heightened or quickened genius, while for women it became a beauty standard, and women would purchase rice paper and belladonna for cosmetic purposes to look as if they had it.
thank you for your appreciation
p.s. and let us not forget how women collude in this vanity – aside from belladonna for the eyes, tapeworm for slimming, corsets so tight they internal organs are displaced
This is brilliant, Laura. I recall the so called “kings disease” in the British Royal Family.
thank you Roberta – yes women are only the carriers of the faulty gene since they do not suffer with haemophilia for obvious reasons!
The last line is a real zinger. Society sure does love its emaciated females.
thanks Katie – and how we women like to comply!
Laura, your poem weaves historical intrigue and dark allure with a clever nod to hemophilia, brilliantly linking the supernatural with the historical.
~David
many thanks David – this was rather a challenging word prompt
agreed!!
I love your conflation of the era, the two diseases and all through the lense of vampirism, Laura…
thank you – the notes seemed necessary though longer than the quadrille 😉
two for one– a history lesson along with scrumptious poetry. such a pleasure! xx
your appreciation is really appreciated! x
I enjoyed the historical/cultural links in your poem, Laura. When I was in grad school, there was another student who was working on TB and culture.