Ah, my jaw dropped, lol.

Aha, liars :b

Wait for my comment, It might take a while though.. my brain is too bland at the moment. XD but thoughts are going on, on this head of mine. lol.

I'll start by saying that I didn't know what Germaine meant, so I had to look it up.

it seems that is a feminist writer who's ideas have created controversy... she has defined her goal as ""women liberation"and that intrigues me a lot more.
I feel that I should look for a little bit more about this writer but I will do that later. Though, this poem can also be about someone else. That was the first result that I got from google. So it's just an assumption.

Mona lisa, this poem is about art without doubt, the painter as everyone knows was leonardo Da Vinci, but I have the feeling that the artist has nothing to do with the poem but rather the painting. So here I am picturing Mona Lisa's smile, actually, I am looking at picture of the painting and also one of Monet's sunset to get a full idea of what you are saying. And I'm trying to picture how it looks, it's hard to explain but in my mind it looks odd... because I'm picturing Mona Lisa without a mouth... then the mouth is in the mask of that woman... hmmm... that says something..it makes me think what was the purpose of the mona lisa smile?or what made mona Lisa's smile take your interest? was it because it's more accentuated? but then I don't think I should focus on that lol ( see my thoughts go nuts)

So she stole Mona Lisa's smile and pretty much kept it for herself. That's my thoughts on that metaphors that you created... monet's sunset is a colourful painting at least the venice one,... I have no knowledge or I can't seem to tie it together.. so she has the smile, the colors of those paintings pethaps on her thoughts or her ideas

"I have always been
fascinated by achroous days and brumous
afternoons but nights with her will always
be nothing but mine."

You are fascinated by days without color and foggy afternoons,
"and nights with her will always be nothing but mine"... as in.. you feel free?

She sang aubades at dawn fervently waking
slumbering oscines.

---audabes? a song or a poem greeting the dawn...
oscines... a bird of divisions.. passerines.. perching birds.

aww.. she sang songs to greet the dawn and she woke sleeping song birds. I wonder if by birds you refer to something else.. perhaps her words where inspirational..

Leaves fawn even at the
gentle tune of her psalm as they finally fall
and settle upon parched ground, only to
stumble over ashes; clothing themselves with
a little more memory of her unannounced
exodus.

-- I'm guessing you are trying to say that her thoughts can change people's mind.. but they caused controversy.. and so they can "stumble over ashes".. .. hmm.. unannounced exodus? as in people didn't expect to be changed? or as in this person passed away. :-s

I tried to sleep under the spell of her voice
but my dreams are swept instead by the rain-
back to her grave. I knew then that I could
walk these dark circles all night long and
would still be baffled with the familiarity
of empty words etched not deep enough on
a piece of cold stone.

-- So she has passed away?, I searched but I didn't find anything about her death. she was born on 1939's, that is if I got the right person. Then may be it's not about this person that I am thinking aha

An echo whispered my name endlessly but
I neither looked up nor answered back.

I went home with rain and nostalgia
woven carelessly through tainted tresses.
By midday, I re-painted the walls
with black ink and anger; trying to cover
up her murals that I found beautiful
yesterday.

--- I wonder.. what happened? why trying to repaint her walls... did she passed away and that made you sad? or her ideals changed and she died in yours eyes? I think that I might have misunderstood.. since I'm not really familiar with this person i'm not sure. But based on this , I'm thinking that the way she painted her words looked too beautiful to be true. ..

She once stole Mona Lisa's smile and painted
it with Monet's sunset; hiding it behind her mask.

But she didn't hide it well enough.

-- With this lines it's making me believe that she fake it.. as in you are disappointed about this person, but then it makes me think that perhaps you mean that she stole mona lisa's popularity as in the smile is one of the things that captivate people because it's accentuated more.. so if she stole that smile then she got more attention.. But something don't makes sense to me.. hiding it behind her mask.. as in she was fake? or as in she added more colors than it shouldn't had been added.

Over all, I'm a little or rather lost at the meaning of the poem, but I'm still wow by the way you wrote this piece, it's creative and unique, I can sense sadness in this piece and it's not just for the mentioning of nostalgia, I can feel disappointment though I'm not sure if it was intended. I really like the metaphor that you use.. " she stole Mona Lisa's smile and painted it with Monet's sunset.. that was brilliant, I just wish I could figure out the whole meaning behind it. I have a vague idea though, I hope I'm not way off on what it means. But on second thought, I guess I wouldn't mind being way off. :)

Excellent piece, Xanthe

What a surprised I got!!
You are too smart with your words Xanthe;)

Well can I say that my mouth dropped too.. I really dunno what to say, you 're soooooooooo talented. My comment wont be as good as Everlasting's and Senyru's, but I adore this, you're brilliant. Awesome job Xanthe..

Reading this gave me the cills. It reminds
me of some major betrayal. Someone
pretending to be a friend and then turn
around and step you in the back. The hide
behind a mask, pretending, but eventually
the truth comes out and their identity is
being discovered. That is what I gather
from this write
You did an amazing job

Oh God, you awesome poetessssss!

I can already foresee a beautiful future for you, Xanthe! <3

Xantheeee!! Xanthe, Xanthe...my heart, my brain, give me a break!!

I know I haven't commented on your poems in ages it feels, but I read them and then I'm usually in awe. I never know what to say, even with this poem I do not really know what to say, but I thought that I had to break the silence and overcome my fear of being totally wrong. It will be worth it, especially since you caused me to do some research...I love doing research to understand poems! But to be honest, I am still not sure who you mean by "Germaine".

When I first read the title I was also rather confused..because I wasn't as familiar with the name as I wished I was, so I first read your poem, to see if I might get what you're trying to convey without knowing who you're refering to, but I failed, miserably.

I did read the comments too and I also thought that you might mean Germaine Greer (born 1939), feminist writer and academic, just like Luce guessed, but I am not too positive to be honest... I think you might also refer to the french origin in some way, as their are communes called that in France as well as a saint, composer etc etc. and yeah the Mona Lisa is in Paris currently. Anyways, now more into the poem.

"She stole Mona Lisa's smile, painted it
with Monet's sunset and hid it beneath
her own mask."
^ I think that this is really captivating, I love the idea of cooperating art and knowledge into poems, especially if it all works together so well. I feel as though the persona couldn't help, but finally reveal that truth as if it was heavy on her heart and she had to share it. I do think that "she" is Germaine, but I have yet to understand why she'd do such a thing. I can see how she wants the smile for herself, but why replace it... and why with something that's not as articulative as the original, almost like she did not even want to cover up the incidence.

"achroous"
^ Does that word actually exist? I've tried to look it up and couldn't find it...so I'd be glad if you explained it to me.

In the second stanza there is so much "death" without you rubbing it into our face, you lead us there, slowly and gently. Your words hint it, and make it acceptable in a way, it does not come surprising, but rather knowingly as though it was meant to happen and you don't shock us with it.

Sigh I think I am still not over this poem, it's toooo much, tooooo good!!! Xanthe, you're brilliant. I'll just stop here, after I said one more thing, but maybe I'll come back.

"be baffled with the familiarity
of empty words etched not deep enough on
a piece of cold stone."
^ I thought this was so nice. You're expressing that the persona knows that "she" might have achieved things in her life, with her words, but that tehy weren't wrong enough, not moving enough, not tangible and you feel the same way about your writes, the content and way to present what you have to say may differ, but it doesn't change the fact, that you feel as though both of you "failed". It almost goes as far as gravestone not having any remarkable "phrase", which could show that it might just be anybody else.

Oh and I loved that you repeated the beginning once more and added the last line! Omg you're brilliant :)

Omg........omg...........wt*........omg

Ummmmmm yeah xanthe you rock!

I think i need a smoke......

Thats was just ........oh just forget it.

A masterpiece truely it is x

I thought I had commented on this before...sorry, it seems I didn't.

You have me interested as to exactly who Germaine is? I know Monet had a stepdaughter by this name but she was never featured in his works that I know of..one of the other daughter was I think. So...Then I also though Germaine Greer because she was outspoken enought o say that the Mona Lisa was a man haha!! No...you have me stumped here because I'm not sure if it was either of them...I'm thinking not.

It doesn't realy matter because you had me really interested from start to finish...some really lovely words used here...when I first read it to be honest...I thought you'd gone slightly overboard but...with each read they seem to have merged into the background and have now become part of this wonderful poem....very intriguing write...loved it!

Your made me think of a film.It is a very visual piece.I really like it.

The feeling I get after reading this is so dark and chilly...love it! It has so many layers that the more I read it, the more new things I discover. When I read the first two lines, I was like "oh boy, I hope this isn't a cliched piece like most that contain Mona Lisa" but you proved me wrong! This was just out of this world amazing!

" went home with rain and nostalgia
woven carelessly through tainted tresses."
^The imagery here is truly exceptional, just like the rest of the piece. But these two lines stuck out to me the most. I love your use of "nostalgia" and "tresses" It just blends so nicely together as well as with the overall feel of the poem.

Loved this, well done!