That is Priceless by Steve Melcher for October 21, 2021

“Can you lend me some cab fare? Giselle just hustled me out of my last Franc.”

Laura was pretending to be playing pool, but she quickly shot the balls at those leaning on the table.

That is one looong pool table.

Several girls in revealing white dresses / played with men for the purse each possesses. / Blanche would not take Jules’ cue / as to what she should do. / Did Jules think Blanche could win? Take two guesses. /// Game of Billiards, (please don’t call it pool), / should be played with three balls, as a rule. / But the men in the back / enjoyed watching her rack / fifteen balls with that triangle tool. /// And though Jules had a certain renown, / as a player of billiards in town, / now he overreacted. / Jules, in truth, was distracted / by Blanche in her tight clingy white gown.

The Handmaid’s Billiard Game?

“I knew it. First they allow women into the club and then it goes to the dogs.”

This is a billiards club. What I want to know is why were small children allowed into such a house of ill repute.

Thirty people or more filled the hall, / waiting while Mademoiselle shot the ball. / The stakes were quite low / and yet, even so, / she endeavored to give it her all. /// Little children and dogs were allowed / to make noises distracting and loud. / When the teenage coquette / lost, the table was set, / and then dinner was served to the crowd.

“Gertie, this is unacceptable — maidens playing sinful games, and around children!”

“Shocking! But I guess it could be worse.”

“How?”

“They could be dancing.”

Bright white sunshine shone down through the skylight / to illuminate Claire in a highlight. / She played billiards with skill / and was winning until / she could not see to shoot after twilight.

A man would be quite the fool/ to miss out on an evening of pool/ in Napoleon’s France/ where the men wore tight pants/ and the ladies kept cool in tulle./// Every now and then they would pause/ for a moment to dampen the gauze/ and enhance the display/ of that old “je ne sais”/ which could even earn them applause/// Whenever they leaned o’er the felt/ one might catch a glimpse of a “pelt”/ a splendiferous sight/ which possibly might/ cause the iciest heart to melt../// Their bank shots were terribly poor,/ their control of the cue was unsure/ their favorite mistake?/ Sink the eight ball on break/..but it didn’t reduce their allure./ Now here is a hot tip for you, / before you start “chalking your cue”:/ those garments “Empire”/ were wonderf’ly sheer/ but those glorious “temps” are “perdus ”.

Well, Ish, they may be “perdus,” but we can always go “À la recherche …..” (Cue “Memory” from Cats —if you dare!)

Those invited to the pool party had been snookered.

i’m speculating that i’m not the only one who wants to shout “down in front!” to the big oaf in the center…

That may be the weirdest painting I’ve ever seen.

Percival had to chalk up another turn-down, but at least he gave her a shot; next one he’ll have in the pocket for sure.

“Hey Nancy….How about, after you finish that shot, you break out some ‘Ben & Jerry’s’… The kids would love some ice cream. Oh, and while you’re doing that give us the key to your liquor cabinet that has the really good stuff!”

“Fast Edie” was showing the pool hall how to clear the table.

Yes, when you are taking a shot, it does make your butt look big.

But Genie, in my wish I didn’t say anything about there being other men and children.

The guy at the far right paid for a DOUBLE Lap Dance. Later that night he developed the economic Law Of Diminishing Returns.

It’s a soirée at Josephine’s/ attended by persons of means/ where excess is rife/ while Napoleon’s wife/ presides among lesser “queens”../// around the billiard table/ having checked their wraps of sable/ and flaunting their butts/ is a slew of sly sluts/ – but the edifice is quite unstable../// The whole thing’s a house of cards/ dependent on peasant “batards”/ who are over the Rhine/ in a “Landschaft” malign/ whence one day they’ll return – in shards../// For nobody present doubts/ though with England we’re now on the outs/they’ll be our allies/ (ain’t that a surprise ?)/ when we’re both inundated with Krauts..but for now let us all pretend/ that the Empire will never end../ “carpe diem”, tis said./ Waterloo lies ahead/ but for now, “rack ‘em up”, my friend!

They’re playing strip billiards, and the ladies are hustlers.

“You can get a better angle for that shot, dear, if you’ll just bend over a little further….further…that’s right…a little more….”

Virginal white was the style of night, … but there’s always a few who didn’t get the message.

Not funny, throw the toon back!

Game of Billiards: 

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Louis-L%C3%A9opold_Boilly_-_Game_of_Billiards_-_WGA02350.jpg 

has info and links that point to more info about this roughly jumbo envelope size painting.

Again, a larger strip image is shown by (⌘- or Ctrl-) clicking the image at 

http://thatispriceless.blogspot.com/2012/08/masterpiece-865.html 

So far, 10 works by this artist, have been used here (11 times total, including this Throwback Thursday repeat). 

https://www.gocomics.com/that-is-priceless/2012/12/21?comments=visible 

has the first time this was used here (the 16 hyperlinks in my comment there have been deactivated, but perhaps the text remains informative), and my 

https://thatispriceless.blogspot.com/2021/06/masterpiece-2736.html 

comment has the artist info that I used to point to here.

Sweet Nanette wasn’t good at the game. / She relied on her sensuous frame. / Leaning down to shoot cue balls / gave male players blue balls. / (Which would totally muck up their aim.) /// Nanette knew the men thought she was “hot,” / when she bent over making a shot. / She would flash, if she must, / a down-blouse glimpse of bust, / and behind her just gauze, sans-culottes.

Nuthin is as oily as a painting done by Boilly in the mor-or-orning …( and the Boilly boid gets the woim !)

The dogs are waiting their turn to use the table for poker.

you be’s erudite to da max, Bro. . .

She was intentionally missing her shots; because she knew when the billiards game was over, it would be her turn on the table.

Will somebody answer the door! The incessant knocking is distracting me!

It’s a woman, or two; I can’t quite tell. I think she is selling fish or something.