Brick by borrowed brick
transplanted across the sea
beside the water blue to reside
two fast years created
theirs a labor of love,
King and Queen reach their dream.
Endless days of guests and stars
moonlight dancing on marble floors
terrace to view the setting sun
and long gone voices hang like ghosts
for the glory days before it all fell apart.
Tattered and torn the decay moves in,
pastel windows caked with salt and grime
restored to their throne,
the house rises once more
a sight for the willing to pay the price
at a glance into the lifestyles then
and emerging in the air when done
enraptured by the beauty found
in history.
John and Mabel Ringlings dream mansion built on the bay in Sarasota, named C’a d’Zan (venetian dialect for house of John), we did the lower level tour of the beautiful house, which for a while had been in disrepair and finally turned over to the University and Sarasota, now restored with most of the original furnishings. The windows are shades of purple, blue, yellow and pink and the view and terrace behind the mansion are to me, spectacular. My dream home….hahaha…..yep, I’m kind of funny that way, I know. I wish it were my house….although way too much to clean for just the hubby and me, but the hounds would have a field day running through it 🙂
This house was also the backdrop for the movie Great Expectations:
http://www.flamingomag.com/2017/03/01/ringling-ca-dzan/
Peace, Love and Patchouli 