the artist calls it
red truck in bookstore
like
still-life
like
white flowers in vase by window
or
pond with clouds over mountain
stuff like that
but different
inspired by the red truck that crashed into the old capitol
hill bookstore last night
on the corner of colfax and grant
soon after, people gathered to gawk
just looky-loos
but some of them were painters
and some of them got excited at this rare opportunity to
paint
red truck in bookstore
and set up their rigs
and look here, the artist was clever
under the right front wheel
a children’s book with a cartoon red truck on the cover
sadly, some can't shake the universe
and catch ripe fruit falling
some can’t look directly at
red truck in bookstore
and turn away, instead they paint
old honda with flat tire
or
broken bottle in gutter
or
stray dog pissing on dumpster
as for method and technique, it was a fortunate disaster
imagine the exact moment the art happened
drunk teenagers texting in red truck spinning out over median
and crash into bookstore
imagine painting that!
imagine the glory, imagine all the art critics wetting their
pants
imagine the headlines:
last night, a red truck crashed headfirst into another red truck inside the capitol hill bookstore
one real as red steel, the other a fairytale,
witnesses claim “art copies life”
no fatalities reported, rescue crews and postmodern art students
working around the clock
personally, i like
red truck in bookstore
its brave, its original, its like, both urban and quaint all squished together
its colorful, if you like endless layers of red
yes, i really do like
red truck in bookstore
just not on my block
red truck in bookstore
(from cbs news 7, denver)
i really liked the imagery in this poem. matter-of-fact but also cheeky at the same time.
ReplyDeleteAlways a pleasure to read your works.
thank you, lee, glad you enjoyed
DeleteNever expected the dose of reality at the end! What a poem!
ReplyDeletethank you helen, and marry christmas
DeleteI like the double meaning in “block.”
ReplyDeleteAnd “pants” is missing an “s” ... unless it isn’t. Perhaps it was intentional, which also works.
I haven’t heard this story; I am taking a break from almost all news.
Happy holidays; I hope you are healing well.
hey pepper! thanks for the heads-up on the typo. and yes i'm healing well. can't walk on it yet, but i'm so ready to go home, still staying with relatives and, well, suburbia just isn't for me. happy holidays to you too! is your blog up? i'd love to go vivit
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteOne of my kids received a Christmas gift wrapped in red-truck wrapping paper today! So cute. I love kismetic moments like those. :)
Deletethat is cute, was there a toy red truck inside?
DeleteSpider-Man pajamas and an electric toothbrush
DeleteAs art, it would be interesting, momentarily, but it would not go on my wall. The broken bottle in a ditch would bring more imagination. But.... instead, your poetry would be much better appreciate, and is! Happy Christmas holidays!
ReplyDeletethanks jc, and no, i wouldn't recommend putting red trucks on your walls, kind of messy. also, your request for edna st. vincent millay did not fall on deaf ears, i'll start working on it after the new year =)
DeleteLove the way you've managed to fuse art and life here, making them two wings on a confused but determined bird. I laughed out loud at "rescue crews and postmodern art students working around the clock.." and the stanza before it, too, with the failed attempts. Good to see you writing again, Phillip, and hope you are soon free from the chains of suburbia. Merriest Christmas you can have, my friend.
ReplyDelete"confused but determined bird", thats funny, and pretty much spot on, thank you joy, enjoy your holiday
Delete