CLASSIC Portrait of Chona Recto-Kasten by Chilean hyperealist painter Claudio Bravo Elegance was not perfection Neither was it an illusion It was the trail of a scent A woman left behind It was the fingers on the lips That stopped vulgarity from spilling out Not secrets shared in whispers But stories told in consideration of others Elegance was not a dress you put on It was you in every detail of the dress Silk shimmering as it caught the light It was the gleam that shone through it Elegance took no two-hour dress time Or a shower with every change of clothes You glided through every day From moment to moment with a pigeon’s haste There was glamour in taking your time Easing slowly into the hours Yet every second you considered precious And never, never were you a minute late Good taste was no better than good manners [...]
